Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Cases of Dengue Fever Double after Flooding

Today the Ministry of Health announced that cases of dengue fever had doubled to 43 confirmed cases of the disease.


René Lenis, Director of Epidemiology for the Ministry of Health, also announced that in addition to the 43 confirmed cases, more than 532 suspected cases have been reported in seven different departments of the country.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne virus, has also been confirmed as the cause of death for a 2-year-old girl in the department of Santa Cruz and is a suspected cause of death in three other children. Despite the casualties, officials were quick to remind citizens that dengue hemorrhagic fever, the deadlier form of the disease, has yet to be identified in the outbreak.

The virus has spread so rapidly in the past month as a result of the widespread flooding in many areas of the country. The summer flooding has displaced 3,600 families throughout Bolivia and has been blamed for several drownings in recent months. Citizens are bracing for continued flooding and a possible increase in dengue as the wet season continues until the middle of March.

To learn more in Spanish see:http://www.la-razon.com/versiones/20100210_006999/nota_250_951334.htm

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