5 dead in Guangdong dengue fever outbreak

The Dengue Fever outbreak in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong has claimed another life.

This weekend's death from the virus now brings the total number of deaths from the outbreak to five.

Over 20-thousand cases of Dengue have been reported in Guangdong so far this year, representing the worst outbreak of the virus in some 20-years.

Wet weather and high temperatures are being pointed to as the key reason for this year's dramatic upturn in the number of Dengue cases in Guangdong.

"The temperature this year has been high and the heat has been lasting a long time. Bad sanitation is another factor. A third factor is that more people in Guangdong are traveling overseas, especially to Southeast Asia, which drives up the population mobility. All these factors have resulted in this outbreak."

The municipal government in Guangzhou has been actively trying to eliminate areas where mosquitos might breed.

Dengue Fever, spread by mosquitos, normally causes flu-like symptoms, and is normally not fatal.

However, the hemmoragic strain of the virus is potentially lethal.

So far, the hemmoragic strain of Dengue has not shown up in Guangdong.