PHNOM PENH, June 7 (Bernama) -- Some 4,434 dengue fever cases and 21 deaths involving children were reported in Cambodia in the first five months of the year, according to the health ministry.
Ngan Chantha, director of the health ministry's dengue control programme, said the latest figures reveal an increase of 1,007 dengue cases and 8 deaths from the same period last year.
"The disease happens in a large scale in every five years -- this year can be one of those outbreaks," he said, Xinhua news agency reported.
A dengue fever outbreak happened in 2007 which recorded 40,000 cases and 407 deaths involving children.
Ngan said in order to prevent the outbreak this year, abate (chemical substance used to kill larvae in water pots) has been distributed free of charge to households.
In Cambodia, the outbreak of dengue fever usually begins at the onset of the rainy season in May and lasts until October.
Last year, the country reported 15,980 dengue fever cases which killed 73 children.
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