Vietnam has recorded more than 170,000 dengue cases and 21 deaths in the first ten months of 2026, according to Hoang Minh Duc, Director of the Ministry of Health's Department of Disease Prevention. Health officials say the disease is now behaving in an unpredictable way, making the situation worth close attention.

Professor Nguyen Van Kinh, President of the Vietnam Society of Infectious Diseases, warned that the current surge no longer follows the seasonal or cyclical patterns that health workers relied on in previous years. This break from tradition makes it harder to anticipate when outbreaks will peak.

The same expert linked the change to climate change and increased rainfall, which he identified as major contributing factors. More rain creates many stagnant water pools, giving mosquitoes ideal places to breed.

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes lay eggs in any standing water, and heavier rains expand those sites. Professor Kinh also noted that over 90% of infected people show no symptoms, so the virus can spread silently.

Because climate change and heavier rainfall are reshaping mosquito habitats, dengue outbreaks in Vietnam no longer match the old seasonal calendar. Understanding this shift is essential for communities to stay vigilant and support prevention measures.