According to Le Minh Dinh, Director of the provincial Health Department, the disease has spread to 16 communes in 6 districts, including 4 communes in Phan Rang city, 6 communes and towns in Ninh Phuoc district, 3 communes in Ninh Son district, 2 communes in Ninh Hai district, 1 commune in Thuan Nam district and 1 commune in Thuan Bac district.

Dinh said that so far, 550 cases have been infected with the disease, three of them have died. The number of new infections has increased by 23 times compared to the same period in 2010.

He noted that the disease appeared in Ninh Thuan in January and has rapidly broken out since July. Most patients are children under five years old.

The local authorities are deploying urgent measures to control the disease and provide prompt treatment for patients.

Ninh Thuan is the first locality in the country to have declared the disease.