Honduras and Belize are also feeling the impact as hospitals struggle to cope with a flood of patients.

In Indonesia, dengue is firmly entrenched in urban areas of Yogyakarta and case numbers have jumped from 688 cases (5 deaths) for all of 2009, to 814 (1 fatality) to July 19 this year.

In Sri Lanka, dozens of patients are being treated for dengue each day in the capital, Colombo. Nationwide, there have been 148 deaths among 20,647 cases this year.
Yemen’s worsening dengue outbreak claimed the lives of 7 children last week, with the governorates of Hadramout, Hajjah, Shabwa, Aden, Abyan, and Lahj the worst effected. Outbreak details.

Advice to travellers: Dengue fever poses a significant travel health risk for Australians visiting tropical countries, especially in the Caribbean, Latin America and SE Asia. An effective insect repellent containing DEET or Citriodiol is essential and should be applied regularly to all exposed areas at all times when outdoors – even within resorts and hotels. Preventing mosquito bites is the only way to avoid the risk.