VIENTIANE, July 20 (Xinhua) -- As many as 12 people have died so far as a result of dengue fever in the first six months this year in Laos.
According to local daily Vientiane Times on Friday, the central Lao province of Savannakhet has recorded the most cases.
The number of dengue fever cases was more than double the number of cases during the same period in 2017, higher than other ASEAN countries compared to the population, the report quoted a Lao health official as saying.
In 2017, about 5,584 dengue fever infections were recorded in the country including 14 fatalities.
From Jan. 1 to June 30 this year, more than 2,426 cases of dengue fever were recorded in Laos. Among them, some 12 people died, National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology director Onechanh Keosavanh told Vientiane Times on Thursday.
Officials and health authorities are urging people to clear potential mosquito breeding sites in their houses and workplaces to curb the spread of the virus.