Cambodia had reported only 1,903 dengue fever cases in 2021, a sharp decrease compared to 2020 when some 11,977 cases were recorded, a health official said on Thursday.

Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted through the bite of an Aedes mosquito which is more active during the day.

The virus killed eight people last year, down 50 percent from 16 deaths in the previous year, said Leang Rithea, program manager for the National Dengue Control Program at the Ministry of Health.

"The decline in cases and fatalities last year was thanks to our people's better awareness of how to prevent themselves and their children from being bitten by Aedes mosquitoes, and their participation in cleaning up the environment and eliminating mosquito sources," he told Xinhua.

Rithea said parents must bring their children to the nearest public hospitals within 48 hours if they suspect that their kids are infected with a dengue virus.

"Please don't try to treat the disease by yourselves, nor seek treatment from unauthorized medical practitioners in your villages," he said.

According to Rithea, the National Dengue Control Program has prepared more than 200 tons of Abate (a chemical substance used to put in water pots to kill larvae) and some 7,000 liters of mosquito spray as well as other materials for distribution across the country.

Dengue fever causes an acute illness that usually follows symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rash.

In the southeast Asian nation, the peak of the dengue epidemic period is in the rainy season from May to October.