YANGON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Seven people died and 1,717 people have been infected with the dengue virus across Myanmar since the beginning of this year until May 20, according to the country's Ministry of Health on Tuesday.
The majority of dengue cases were reported in the regions and states of Yangon, Taninthayi, Ayeyarwady, Mon and Kayin, the health ministry said.
"Most of the dengue infections occur in the rainy season, particularly the months of June, July and August," Than Naing Soe, spokesperson for the health ministry, told Xinhua on Tuesday.
While dengue fever traditionally affected children under the age of 15 in Myanmar, it has been observed in people above the age of 15 for over a decade, the health ministry said.
To combat the spread of dengue fever, Myanmar's health ministry has appealed to the public to eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites around their homes.
According to the health ministry, the dengue virus killed 97 and infected 24,971 people last year, a significant increase compared to 36 deaths and 5,446 infections recorded in 2021.
The average yearly death rate of dengue fever in Myanmar is 0.4 percent, it added. ■