An outbreak of dengue fever has killed two people and sickened more than 1,000 others in Nakhon Ratchasima since the start of the year, the provincial health chief said.

Narinrat Phitchayakhamin, head of the provincial public health office, said on Tuesday that all 19 people in the province infected with Covid-19 had fully recovered and been discharged. There were no new cases, and no deaths. 

However, the situation with dengue fever, another viral disease, was worrying, Dr Narinrat said.   

A total of 1,037 cases were recorded in Nakhon Ratchasima from Jan 1 to May 24. There were two deaths.

The first fatality was a resident of Non Sung district, who died on March 10. The second was a 16-year-old who died on March 22 and had suffered from a blood disease before contracting dengue fever.

The provincial public health chief advised people to ensure there was no stagnant water around their homes, because it was a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus. The area around their houses should also be fogged with insecticide by local health officials, to kill the mosquitoes.