NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A campaign is being launched in Muang district to prevent the spread of dengue fever after 737 cases of the mosquito-borne tropical disease were found in this northeastern province.
The campaign involves village health volunteers going out to villages to distribute abate sand granules to kill mosquito larvae.
Dr Kittipong Sanchartwiroon, director of the 9th Disease Control Office, said the numbers of people who contracted dengue fever in four lower northeastern provinces under the jurisdiction of his office have increased rapidly.
During January-April this year, Nakhon Ratchasima had 737 dengue fever cases -- 27.92 per 100,000 population -- followed by Chaiyaphum's 223 cases (19.57 per 100,000 population), Buri Ram's 143 cases (8.98 per 100,000 population), and Surin's 96 cases (6.87 per 100,000 population).
In Nakhon Ratchasima, the hardest-hit district was Non Thai with 73 cases and one death, followed by Non Sung district with 70 cases and Chok Chai district with 48 cases.
Affected the most were people in the 10-14 age group, followed by the 5-9 and 15-24 groups.
It is, therefore, necessary to step up the campaign against the dengue fever spread alongside the measures to stem the coronavirus pandemic, Dr Kittipong said.