MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Dengue spreading in South America; kills 19 in Bolivia

Uruguay is the only country of the region free of dengue

Bolivia suffering one of its worst dengue epidemics in decades reported 19 deaths of the more extreme variant haemorrhagic and 30.000 cases of the mild classic disease transmitted by mosquito bites.

Public Health minister Alberto Nogues said in a radio interview that in the next cabinet meeting he would recommend President Evo Morales declares the epidemics a "natural disaster", given the magnitude of the problem. The Director of the Epidemiology Department Eddy Martinez said that the number of the more common dengue can be estimated in 30.000 and increasing, which makes it "the worst epidemic in decades" in Bolivia. Dengue which is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito thrives in stagnant water and in most common in tropical countries during the rainy season, causes headaches, vomiting, abdominal pains, skin rashes, diarrhoea, and dehydration but in its more virulent strain, hemorrhagic, when a person is twice bitten, can cause death. The 30.000 number and 19 deaths can only be compared to the 27.000 and 17 dead in the summer of 2007 in neighbouring Paraguay, when the country was forced to declare a "national emergency" during two months. Bolivian Public Health minister Ramiro Tapia said that two thirds of the cases are concentrated to the east of the country in the province of Santa Cruz, where "a house by house fumigating campaign" is being organized. "What is happening in Santa Cruz is most worrying?dengue is a disease that can be anticipated in the rainy summer months. We are including the Armed Forces, university students, grass root organizations to help with the fumigation task" said Tapia. In neighbouring Paraguay a "dengue epidemics alert" was declared this week after the number of reported cases in the capital Asunci?n reached 200. Public Health minister Esperanza Martinez said a contingency plan has been programmed and is ready to become active, following on recommendations from the Pan-American health organization. The areas most affected are along the border with Bolivia and Brazil and in Asunci?n. Paraguay alleges that this time the outbreak can be tracked to "imported cases" from neighbouring countries. "The rainy summer season which impedes a proper chemical control of the aedes aegypti mosquito, and the influx of tourists helps create an epidemiology framework openly favourable for the transmission and spread of dengue, and its most virulent strains", said the official resolution. "The purpose of the epidemics alert is to ensure a quick response of sanitary services, for the on-time detection, immediate notification and adequate management of reported cases. This also includes the prevention chapter to control the spread of the mosquito larvae through an adequate environmental monitoring". In related news Chilean sanitary authorities in the north of the country reported the first confirmed case of dengue, the mild strain. Following three suspicious cases, "one proved positive, another negative and the third still has to complete the six-day fever period", said Antonio Marino Maldonado head of the Iquique Health Ministry office to the north of the country. "This is obviously an imported case, most probably from Santa Cruz, Bolivia and the first to be reported in the north of Chile since 2006", added Marino Marldonado. With the confirmation of the case in Iquique, Uruguay is the only country of the region free of dengue. Bolivia is the most affected, followed by Paraguay, Peru and Brazil where the disease is endemic and Argentina, which has reported several cases in an area that has suffered severe flooding and hundreds of people are homeless and had to be displaced to temporary camps.