Dengue fever outbreak in Medan, 3 dead

MEDAN, North Sumatra: At least 145 cases of dengue fever and three deaths have been reported in the North Sumatra capital Medan, health officials said on Wednesday.

Medan health office head Herman Sadeck said the outbreak was an annual occurrence during the months of July and August, and had always claimed lives.

The varied climate -- sometimes wet and sometimes dry -- had contributed to the spread of the mosquito-borne disease, he said.

The office recorded 212 cases of dengue fever and three deaths last year, a decrease from 344 cases and two deaths recorded in 2001. --JP