Dengue fever is spreading once again, due to the rapid increase in mosquitoes during the rainy season, says the Health department.

Both children and adults are being infected at the moment according to Ibrahim Shaheem, the assistant director of the Public Health department.

Twenty-nine people have contracted the disease so far, and two children under five are ill with both dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Dengue fever and dengue hemorragic fever are spread by aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The aedes aegypti mosquito prefers urban areas like Malé, while the aedes albopictus mosquito is present in atoll island rural areas.

The Public Health department is urging people to take precautions against dengue fever, and avoid infection.

These precautions included cleaning places where mosquitoes are likely to breed, and sealing water tanks to exclude them.

In addition, people are urged to check their roof-gutters for trapped water, and not to leave anything around building sites that can hold water.

The department said it will be visiting houses to help eradication efforts.