Dengue Fever cases on increase in Thailand

The number of dengue fever cases in Thailand so far this year has surpassed 13,000, a four-fold increase from the same period last year, media reports said Sunday. As of March 11, a total of 13,200 dengue cases had been diagnosed, with 16 fatalities, dpa quoted the Public Health Ministry as reporting. Nation Multimedia quoted ministry sources as saying the number of victims and the number of fatal cases were both four times higher than during the same period last year. Cases were reported in all 77 Thai provinces. Dengue fever is a virus-caused tropical disease spread by mosquitoes, with symptoms including high fever, headache and muscle and joint pain.