Dengue fever sickens 37 in south China city

ZHONGSHAN CITY, China, July 20 (UPI) -- Chinese officials said Saturday they had confirmed 37 cases of dengue fever in Zhongshan City and expected the number to increase.

The patients were all from the same township in the southern China city and were experiencing mild symptoms of dengue fever, including rashes and muscle pain.

Health officials in Guangdong Province told China's official Xinhua news agency the outbreak was likely caused by a boom in the mosquito population brought on by rainy weather.

Officials told Xinhua none of the patients had been to tropical Southeast Asia recently, suggesting the outbreak was a localized phenomenon.