Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in South Vietnam: Report of the 1963 Outbreak

Abstract

Summary An outbreak of mosquito-borne hemorrhagic fever occurred in the Mekong River delta and the city of Saigon, South Vietnam, in the rainy season of 1963. High mortality accompanied the rural outbreak. Clinically, the disease resembled that described in other outbreaks in Southeast Asia. Three dengue viruses identified tentatively as type 2 were recovered, two from patients and one from Aedes aegypti captured in Saigon. Serologic data strongly suggested dengue virus etiology in clinically diagnosed cases. In view of at least one earlier outbreak of this disease, it is not possible to establish the date of the first occurrence of hemorrhagic fever in South Vietnam.