China's Health Ministry on Monday warned that some regions of the country were still at risk of dengue fever despite a decline in infectious disease cases across the country.

Ministry spokesman Mao Qunan told a press conference that dengue fever outbreaks had occurred recently in some southern provinces.

Guangdong Province had reported 41 dengue fever cases by Thursday and the provincial health and disease control departments had quarantined the patients under close observation.

The total reported dengue cases in the country was 73 by September 5, compared with 280 in the same period last year, Mao said.

"So far, dengue has shown no signs of spreading beyond the reporting provinces, but risks still exist within the provinces," he said

"We will pay close attention to the situation in Guangdong Province and keep the media informed," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2007)