SHENZHEN has confirmed 10 dengue fever cases so far this year, equivalent to the number of cases recorded in all of last year, Shenzhen’s center for disease control and prevention (CDC) said Monday.

    However, there have been no deaths or serious symptom cases, the CDC said.

    Among the cases, nine were imported, and the origin of one case is still under investigation, according to Xie Xu, head of the CDC’s infectious diseases prevention department.

    Analysis showed that most patients had been to Southeast Asian countries. Xie reminded National Day holiday travelers to Southeast Asian countries to take extra precautions against mosquitoes. Those who suffer from a high fever, rashes or bone pains must get treatment at a hospital and report their travel history to doctors.

    Guangdong, which has reported 6,089 cases of dengue fever since May, is at the height of the season for such diseases.

    Due to high temperatures and rainy weather, the mosquito population in Guangdong is five times the normal level.

    Dengue fever, a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes, mostly hits tropical and subtropical regions. The symptoms include high fevers, nausea, rashes, backaches and headaches. The hemorrhagic variant, which causes severe internal bleeding as blood vessels collapse, is often fatal.

    (Han Ximin)