The Ministry of Public Health has called on parents to be on alert for dengue as the number of patients in the country has reached over 52,000 and claimed 50 lives this year.

Dr. Pornthep Siriwanarangsan, director-general of the ministry's Department of Disease Control, advised parents to take their children to see a doctor if they notice any symptoms of dengue fever, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

According to official statistics, a total of 20,600 dengue fever cases were reported in the central region, followed by 14,347 in northeast, 9,076 in the north and 7,985 in the south.