Dr. Luong Chan Quang, Head of the Department of Disease Control and Prevention at Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute, announced yesterday that the total number of dengue fever cases across the Southern region is currently 68 percent higher than the same period in 2024.
Consequently, the number of severe cases is also trending upwards. Notably, nearly 73 percent of the dengue cases in the South are concentrated in provinces and cities in the Southeast region—a hub for trade, tourism, industry, and manufacturing.
However, compared to the peak of the dengue epidemic in 2022, the current number of cases is only half, and the increase in dengue fever is being contained at a lower rate than forecasted.
Hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City are continuously admitting critical dengue cases. From the beginning of the year until now, Children's Hospital 1 has admitted over 100 children with severe dengue fever, nearly double the number from last year.
The most critical case was T.H.B.N., a 12-year-old who experienced cardiovascular collapse and respiratory failure, requiring over 10 liters of blood transfusions to stabilize his condition.
At Children's Hospital 2, 19 severe dengue fever cases were admitted in less than a month, compared to only 2 severe cases in the same period last year. Across Ho Chi Minh City, 507 dengue fever cases were reported last week, a 50.9 percent increase from the average of the previous four weeks.
This year, the city has recorded 9,571 dengue fever cases. Outlying districts with the highest cases per 100,000 people are Can Gio, Cu Chi, and Nha Be.
In response to the rising cases, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Van Quang, Head of the Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning Department at Children's Hospital 1, predicted an increase in dengue fever cases this year. Hospitals have readied response resources and conducted retraining on dengue fever diagnosis and treatment for medical staff in Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces.
