Paraguay’s second couple in hospital with dengue

Thursday, February 9th 2012 - 07:34 UTC

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Federico Franco and Emilia Alfaro, recovering from an endemic disease

Paraguay’s Vice president Federico Franco and his wife lawmaker Emilia Alfaro are in hospital in the capital Asuncion following infection symptoms of the mosquito transmitted dengue which is very common in tropical areas during the rainy season.

Franco who is a trained doctor and his wife are in a private clinic in downtown Asuncion after showing clear symptoms of a dengue infectious condition, said the family doctor Cesar Britos.

“At this stage all dengue tests have proved negative, which is not unusual because the contagion only surfaces in the fifth to seventh day, and even tenth, when the correct diagnosis can be proved”, said Britos interviewed by a local radio station.

Apparently Franco was prescribed three days of full rest while his wife, Alfaro could be discharged in the next two days.

“The wife Mrs. Franco has a similar situation but weaker and is evolving much quicker” added Britos. Nevertheless until doctors are not sure of which dengue strain, “forces us to be cautious and patients to rest, no stress”.

Dengue is endemic in Paraguay, Bolivia, north of Argentina and most of tropical Brazil, and is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. It causes high fever, head aches, vomiting, skin eruptions, and depression and in its haemorrhagic strain can be deadly.

So far this year Paraguay’s Health ministry has reported 700 possible dengue cases. This compares with the 62 deaths and 41.953 contagions during the twelve months of 2011.