HEALTH officials have recorded slightly fewer dengue fever cases and two fewer deaths during the first nine months of the year, according to statistics provided yesterday by the National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control.

Ngan Chantha, director of the Health Ministry’s National Anti-Dengue Programme, said the figure of 9,996 cases was down from 10,069 recorded during the same period last year, and that the 29 deaths fell short of the 31 recorded last year.

He said, though, that the ministry was “still concerned about [dengue fever] because we don’t want to see children die of it”, and that the majority of deaths were children under the age of 15.

The report listed four provinces in addition to Phnom Penh as dengue fever hot spots: Kampong Cham, Kandal, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap.

Hai Ra, head of dengue control at Kampong Cham’s provincial health department, said he believed the number of cases in his province – 934 were recorded through the first nine months of the year – was on the rise, though he could not provide a figure for last year.