Nearly 500 citizens who contracted dengue in Mon State developed hemorrhagic fever, with three minors dying, according to the Mon State Health Department.

 

Most get dengue from a mosquito bite, but it can also be spread by infected blood. Fatalities caused by hemorrhagic fever are rare.

 

It's mainly children under the age of 15 who are at risk of developing hemorrhagic fever after getting dengue. The three recent deaths were ages: 15, 8 and 10-months.

 

Mon State Health Department director Dr Tun Aung Kyi says this year's infection rate is actually lower than last year's, but the death rate is higher.

 

From January to mid-July, over 490 residents in 10 townships in Mon State came down with hemorrhagic fever. Mawlamyine and Poung townships had the most cases in the state.

 

Most contract dengue from June to July during the rainy season. In Mon State, many suffered from the fever in July, according to Dr Tun Aung Kyi.

 

In order to protect against dengue, the Mon State Health Department, in cooperation with township departments, launched an awareness campaign throughout Mon State.

 

With the participation of the public, Dr Tun Aung Kyi says its campaign can be successful in preventing dengue.

 

Dengue is typically spread in tropical or sub-tropical climates located in urban or semi-urban settings. There are between 100 and 400 million infections worldwide each year. Most infections are minor, but some can be severe.