Dengue cases reach 206 in Chinese province

The number of confirmed dengue fever cases rose to 206 in a prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province as of Friday afternoon, local authorities said. There have been no serious cases or deaths since the disease was first reported in the area Thursday last week, according to the information office of the Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna. The cases included six originating outside the province. Of the confirmed cases, 82 were hospitalized and the others were being treated at home or in clinics. A total of 17 have left hospital after treatment. The prefecture government is organizing training courses for about 80 medical staff. Armed police are spraying anti-mosquito liquid in the affected areas. The prefecture government also printed 50,000 leaflets on Friday with information telling the public on how to prevent the fever. Dengue is a mosquito-borne, potentially fatal disease that affects between 50 and 100 million people in tropical and subtropical regions every year, causing fever and muscle and joint aches