Dengue fever claims seven lives in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: Dengue fever has struck 241 people since January this year in the province, with 111 cases in the coastal city of Lhokseumawe.

The number of people who contracted dengue was high in the city because sanitation was bad here, said a senior health official with the Aceh provincial government.

Besides Lhokseumawe, two other cities with a high prevalence of dengue cases, were Banda Aceh with 20 cases and Aceh Besar regency with 17 cases. "The dengue cases have so far claimed seven lives," said the health official, Media Yulizar.

Yulizar said the Acehnese government had conducted preventive measures to stop the spread of dengue virus such as campaigning for keeping the environment clean and regular fogging. -- Antara