HANGZHOU - East China's Zhejiang province has reported 148 dengue cases this year, local health authorities said Wednesday.

Among them, 44 were imported cases, up 33.33 percent from the same period in 2016. Most of these patients caught the virus in Asian countries such as Thailand, India, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, according to Zhejiang Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission.

The remaining 104 cases resulting from local transmission were in the provincial capital Hangzhou. No deaths were reported, the commission said.

The costal province has experienced an increase in imported cases.

Dengue is a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease mainly found in tropical and subtropical regions. Symptoms include fever and nausea as well as muscle and joint aches.