Human catastrophe in Vietnam

Floods, followed by Dengue fever, have wreaked havoc in Vietnam, causing hundreds of deaths.

Since last August, floods in Vietnam have caused the deaths of 343 people, most of whom are children, according to international reports on the flooding of the Mekong Delta. Ten provinces were affected, 356,700 houses were submerged and 1,780,000 people have been left homeless. 1,650,000 of these are in danger of starvation, according to Vietnamese government reports.

The floods in this region are expected to continue until the end of November. To make matters worse, the main crop produced by this region – coffee – has been ruined and therefore the effects of this disaster will be relevant for at least one more calendar year.

As always, an epidemic of Dengue fever follows the floods. The mosquito Aedes Egypt lays its eggs in clean, fresh water and infects the victim through a bite. Days later, flu-like symptoms appear. Usually, if it is the first bite, the patient recovers but after catching Dengue a number of times, the patient can develop the fatal haemorrhagic form of the disease, which involves massive internal bleeding, similar to Ebola.

So far this year 31,035 cases of Dengue have been reported in the Mekong Delta. 61 people have died of the haemorrhagic form of the disease. The natural environment, humidity and warmth, favour the propagation of the disease.

Timofei BYELO PRAVDA.Ru