00000000Other outbreaks of DHF/DSS have occurred in the Asian region. Dengue viruses types 1 and 4 were isolated from patients in Kampuchea in 1961(16). A disease clinically resembling DHF, on which no aetiological investigations were undertaken, was reported from Laos in 1962.

00000000In Penang, West Malaysia, the disease was first recognized in 1962(17). Although the disease had been observed in Yangon, Myanmar, since 1963, no apparent outbreak was reported until 1970(18).

00000000 Other countries in the western part of the WHO South-East Asia Region, including Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives, were once regarded as silent areas for DHF. However, double peak epidemics of the disease were reported from Calcutta, India, between July 1963 and March 1964(19). Dengue virus type 2 was isolated during the first peak and chikungunya virus during the second. Severe haemorrhagic manifestations were seen during the first peak only.

00000000In 1964, Bangladesh reported an epidemic of a disease closely related to DHF known as "Dacca Fever", from which dengue virus type 3 was isolated(20).

00000000In 1966, a small outbreak of DHF was reported from Sri Lanka. Twenty-six patients with two deaths were recorded(21). In the following years, only one to four cases per year were reported.

00000000In 1968, fourteen years after the first outbreak in Manila, DHF was reported from Jakarta, Indonesia(22).

00000000In Maldives, dengue-like fever occurred in male, the capital island of the Republic of Maldives, in May 1977 and again in May 1979. However, no outbreak of DHF was reported from Maldives until 1988(23), when serologically confirmed DHF patients were reported from Male between the end of March and the second week of May. A total of 167 cases (with nine deaths) were admitted to Male's Central Hospital.