Dengue fever cases in the Kingdom have increased by nearly 80 per cent compared with the same period last year, and the Cambodia National Malaria Center (CNM) said yesterday that it expects a continued surge throughout 2015.

From January until March, the CNM recorded 342 cases of dengue all over Cambodia – a 76 per cent increase from last year’s tally of 194 cases.

“There has been a pretty high increase, but there should be no cause for alarm . . . because the normal nature of the disease is that it increases every few years,” said CNM’s National Dengue Control Program manager, Dr Leng Rithea.

Dengue epidemics have been known to occur in Southeast Asia every two to three years and neighbouring countries have also seen recent upticks.

The increase, Rithea said, could also be attributed to Cambodians increasingly seeking medical attention due to growing knowledge of dengue prevention, as well as the improved quality of case management.

CNM is distributing 4,000 litres of mosquito spray all over the Kingdom as a response to the impending outbreak season, which coincides with the rainy season and typically peaks from August to September.