Hanoi: Vietnam's capital city Hanoi could become a hotspot for dengue fever soon, local media reported on Wednesday, citing the country's National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology.

Dengue fever has shown changing patterns with the increasing number of cases in the northern region compared to the same period last year, local newspaper Vietnam News reported, citing the institute's Department of Insects.

The city has recorded nearly 400 cases of dengue fever since early this year, a five-fold increase year-on-year, and the number of cases has been on the rise, local newspaper Vietnam News reported.

In the same period, the whole country recorded approximately 40,000 cases of dengue fever, including eight fatalities.

The outbreak is trending upward in many localities and is expected to have complex development this year, the newspaper reported.

The current dengue fever outbreak now varies by region, not following any specific cycle, and the reason for this was due to the fluctuating weather conditions in the northern region, according to head of the Department of Insects Nguyen Van Dung.

He said preventing and controlling dengue fever is a complex task that relied not only on the healthcare workforce and local authorities but also on the awareness of the public.

He noted that the most effective prevention method was avoiding mosquito bites and maintaining a clean environment to prevent mosquito breeding, including removing stagnant water.

(With UNI inputs)