MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia admits dengue epidemic is “out of control”

Bolivia's Public Health Minister Ramiro Tapia admitted Wednesday that the mosquito transmitted dengue epidemics which has extended to the whole territory is “out of control” and said a total 8.152 cases had been reported of which 7 deaths.

"Santa Cruz is the region most affected with 5.951 cases, of which 818 confirmed and 13 of the deadly haemorrhagic strain. Three people have died in Santa Cruz, another three in Cochabamba and a child in the capital La Paz", said Tapia during a press conference in La Paz. So far the administration of President Evo Morales has provided emergency aid equivalent to 1.2 million US dollars and the Andean Development Corporation another 1.1 million with the purpose of a campaign to create awareness about the origin and contagion of the epidemics. The government has also organized "clean city" campaigns trying to eliminate all accumulation of stagnant water or sewage where during the tropical rainy season the larvae of the Aedes Aegypti proliferate. Municipal workers with the support from Public Works equipment, health staff and medical students, and when possible members of the Armed Forces visit different quarters of urban areas trying to explain the extent of the epidemic and then are followed by fumigation teams. Bolivian Army tent hospitals have been mounted in support of government hospitals undermanned and short of supplies. The provinces hardest hit are Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Cochabamba plus some areas of La Paz to the north of the country. Neighbouring Paraguay to the south has also admitted a "low intensity" dengue epidemics following 360 cases reported in hospital emergencies of which 179 remain highly "suspicious" of having been contaminated by the mosquito transmitted disease. Dengue is common during the rainy season in tropical areas with the Aedes aegypti day-biting mosquito --that prefers to feed on humansâ€"growing its larvae in the abundant stagnant water. Symptoms of dengue fever are a sudden onset of severe headache, muscle and joint pains, fever and rash. The dengue rash is characteristically bright red and usually appears first on the lower limbs and the chest; in some patients, it spreads to cover most of the body. There may also be gastritis with some combination of associated abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. However there's a more virulent strain dengue hemorrhagic fever which can cause death.