Dengue fever: Don't let 'mosquito problems' become a big deal!

In recent years, dengue fever in Vietnam has become increasingly complicated, ranking among the countries with the highest number of cases, and at the same time, the epidemic has spread more widely than before. In the world, in 2024, dengue fever is a hot issue with a new record when the number of recorded cases is nearly double the previous year. Of which, Brazil alone has recorded more than 10 million cases. Entering 2025, as of February 15, the Philippines has reported more than 43,000 cases, 56% higher than the usual peak in June, while Laos also issued a warning of the risk of an early outbreak at the beginning of the year.

It is important to note that a person can get dengue fever many times in their life. In particular, a second dengue infection is very dangerous because the condition is often more severe than the first time. The patient may have unpredictable developments, with a higher risk of becoming more severe. Therefore, even those who have had dengue fever cannot be subjective in the face of this infectious disease.

Due to climate change, many provinces and cities have many cases of dengue fever.

Climate change has a strong impact on the dengue epidemic in Vietnam

According to a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, in 2024, the southern region accounted for 41% of the total 141,000 dengue fever cases recorded nationwide. For many years, some provinces in the south have been the country's dengue fever hotspots. Previously, in the Mekong Delta, the epidemic mainly broke out during the rainy season, but now it has spread and increased even during the dry season.

According to a report from the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control, as of week 7 of 2025, 3,431 cases of dengue fever were recorded in Ho Chi Minh City, an increase of 125.3% over the same period in 2024.

According to experts, climate change is one of the causes of the risk of an outbreak in 2025. Drought and saltwater intrusion have caused freshwater scarcity, forcing people to store water, creating a favorable environment for mosquitoes to breed. Unusual unseasonal rains have also contributed to the increase in the density of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

In the Central and Central Highlands regions, in recent years, the epidemic has tended to move to this area. For many years, the number of cases in this area has increased significantly, not only in coastal provinces but also spreading to the highlands.

Unseasonal storms and prolonged flooding during the dry season are the main causes of the increase in dengue fever in the Central region. A typical example is the flooding in Tay Hoa, Phu Yen in February 2025, creating favorable conditions for mosquitoes to breed, causing the disease to break out. Even cool areas such as Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong - which are less affected - will become new hotspots for dengue fever in 2024.

Previously, the North was less affected by dengue fever, but climate change has resulted in shorter winters, longer summers and higher temperatures, creating favorable conditions for Aedes mosquitoes to breed. At the same time, rapid urbanization, dense population and growing trade have also promoted the spread of the disease.

In 2023, Hanoi recorded a record 36,795 cases, twice as high as Ho Chi Minh City. Worryingly, despite the cold spell in early 2025, Hanoi still recorded 137 cases. Notably, dengue fever has spread to mountainous provinces - where dengue fever had not been recorded in many years before. In recent years, trade and urbanization have caused 11 northern mountainous provinces to begin recording dengue fever outbreaks in Son La, Tuyen Quang, and Phu Tho, of which Lao Cai detected the first local case in 2023 and had 4 more cases in 2024.

Synchronize measures to prevent and control dengue fever

Don't let dengue fever become a medical burden

According to research on the PubMed system (USA) - a free database providing life science and biomedical documents, among patients hospitalized with dengue fever, 3.3 - 4.8% of severe cases are at risk of acute kidney failure (of which 14.1% require dialysis). These cases can also progress to chronic kidney failure.

As in the case of an 11-year-old boy in Binh Chanh (HCMC) with underlying obesity, the patient was hospitalized in a state of dengue shock, severe respiratory failure, blood clotting disorder, and had to undergo continuous dialysis in early March 2025.

In fact, the epidemic has also overloaded the healthcare system. Many lower-level hospitals do not have the capacity to treat severe cases, forcing them to transfer patients to other hospitals, creating a burden on large hospitals such as Children's Hospital 1, Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, and Xanh Pon Hospital...

In addition, dengue fever also affects the economy and society. The cost of treatment for severe complications is very high. Moreover, people with dengue fever need 1-2 weeks to recover, or longer if severe complications require hospitalization. During this time, people with dengue fever may suffer from pain, fever and fatigue, and need intensive care. At that time, not only the patient loses the ability to work, but relatives are also affected in terms of work and income due to having to take care of the patient.

Currently, Vietnam has a highly regarded international treatment regimen for dengue fever, but the disease is still complicated due to many factors, especially climate change. The introduction of dengue fever vaccine in Vietnam is expected to help reduce the risk of outbreaks, limit severe cases and reduce pressure on the health system. However, epidemic control does not stop at epidemiological surveillance, vector control or improving treatment capacity, but also requires initiative from each individual - do not let "mosquitoes" become a serious problem.

Vinh Hoang

* This information is for informational purposes only; and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. It is not intended to be a substitute for consulting with a physician. Please consult your physician for further advice.

Content provided by Takeda Pharmaceutical Vietnam Co., Ltd., professionally approved by the Vietnam Preventive Medicine Association. C-ANPROM/VN/NON/0007, Mar 2025

Information is compiled from WHO, Ministry of Health, Department of Health in provinces, cities and other official sources.