Dengue fever: Don't let the " mosquito problem" get too big!

In recent years, dengue fever in Vietnam has become increasingly complicated, among the countries with a high number of cases and a more widespread epidemic range than before. In the world, in 2024, dengue fever is a hot problem with a new record when the number of cases recorded was 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 had more than 43,000 cases, 56% higher than the normal peak epidemic in June, Laos also issued a warning of the risk of an early outbreak since the beginning of the year.

A person can get dengue fever many times in a lifetime, if they are re-infected for a second time, it is very dangerous because the condition is often more severe than the first time. Patients may have unpredictable progression, with a higher risk of seriousness. Therefore, even people who have had dengue fever cannot be subjective about this disease.

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

● Southern region: The center of the country for many consecutive years

According to a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, in 2024, the Southern region will account for 41% of the total of 141,000 cases recorded nationwide. For many consecutive years, the South has been a hot spot for dengue fever in the country. Previously, in the Mekong Delta, epidemics mainly broke out during the rainy season, now they have spread and increased even during the dry season.

Worryingly, a report by the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control shows that as of week 7 of 2025, Ho Chi Minh City had 3,431 cases of dengue fever recorded, 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. The drought and saline intrusion have caused a shortage of fresh water, forcing people to store water, creating a favorable environment for mosquitoes to breed. Unusual unseasonal rains also contribute to increased density of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

● Central region: The epidemic spreads from the coast to the Central Highlands

In recent years, the epidemic has tended to shift to the Central and Central Highlands. For many consecutive 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 floods lasting during the dry season are the main causes of dengue fever increasing in the Central region. For example, the flooding in Tay Hoa and Phu Yen in February 2025, creating conditions for mosquitoes to breed, causing the outbreak of the epidemic. Even cool areas such as Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong - which are less affected - will become a new hot spot for dengue fever in 2024.

● The North: No longer a safe area for dengue fever

Previously, the North was less affected by dengue fever, but climate change caused shorter winters, longer summers and increased temperatures, creating conditions for barley mosquitoes to thrive. At the same time, rapid urbanization, high population density, and developed trade also promote the spread of the epidemic.

In 2023, Hanoi recorded a record of 36,795 cases, twice as many as Ho Chi Minh City. Worryingly, despite the cold spell in early 2025, Hanoi still recorded 137 cases. In particular, dengue fever has spread to mountainous provinces - places where no cases have been recorded for many years.

In recent years, trade and urbanization have caused 11 northern mountainous provinces to record dengue fever epidemics in Son La, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, in which Lao Cai detected the first case in the locality in 2023 and had 4 more cases in 2024.

From local seasonal diseases to a medical burden

According to research on the PubMed system (USA) - a free database providing life and biomedical documents, among patients hospitalized for dengue fever, 3.3 - 4.8% of cases are at risk of acute kidney failure (of which 14.1% have to undergo dialysis). These cases can also progress to chronic kidney failure. For example, an 11-year-old boy in Binh Chanh (HCMC) with underlying obesity was hospitalized with dengue shock, severe respiratory failure, and blood clotting disorder, requiring continuous blood filtration in early March 2025.

The epidemic also overloaded the health system. Many lower-level hospitals are not capable of treating severe cases, forced to transfer to other hospitals, creating a burden on major hospitals such as Children's Hospital 1, Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Diseases Hospital, Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, Xanh Pon Hospital...

Dengue fever also greatly affects the socio-economy. The cost of treatment for severe complications is very high, can be up to hundreds of millions. People with dengue fever need 1-2 weeks to recover, or longer if they have serious complications and need to be hospitalized. During this time, dengue patients may experience pain, fever and fatigue, and need to be taken care of intensively. At that time, not only the patient himself is unable to work, but his relatives are also affected in terms of work and income due to having to take care of the patient.

Currently, Vietnam has a dengue fever treatment regimen that is highly appreciated internationally, but the epidemic is still complicated due to many factors, especially climate change. The use 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 disease monitoring, vector control or improving treatment capacity, but also requires proactiveness from each individual - do not let mosquito problems become a serious problem.