(Xinhua)    20:45, October 10, 2014

GUANGZHOU, Oct. 10 — Health authorities of south China’s Guangdong Province said 1,412 new cases of dengue were confirmed in the province on Thursday. The total number of dengue infections rose to 27,593, over 27 times that of same period last year, said the provincial health and family planning commission on Friday.

The disease, which has killed six people, has been detected in 20 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong. Its capital city Guangzhou was hit worst with 23,484 cases reported.

Dengue is a mosquitoborne, potentially fatal disease that affects between 50 million and 100 million people in tropical and subtropical regions every year, causing fever combined with muscle and joint aches.

In China’s island province of Hainan, five dengue cases had been reported as of Wednesday.

Three people have already been discharged from hospitals, while another two are being treated.

Other places of China including Fujian Province, Yunnan Province, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have also detected hundreds of dengue infection cases this year.