MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia dengue cases could reach 50.000 by end of March

Bolivia revealed Tuesday that 35.500 people have contracted the benign strain of the mosquito transmitted dengue disease while 20 have died from the deadly haemorrhagic variant. There are also fears that before the rainy season is over 50.000 people could be infected.

"This is the most serious outbreak of the disease we have experienced in the last ten years", said Health Minister Ramiro Tapia adding that the worst hit area was to the east of the country in Santa Cruz province with 14 deaths and 25.000 confirmed cases "Although the majority of cases are under control, we are concerned with the 106 haemorrhagic dengue infections" that can be deadly and are the result of a double bite from the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Santa Cruz city, the most populated of Bolivia, and a boom town because of the oil industry and rich farmlands, has seen its hospital and clinics system virtually collapsed by the number of people demanding medical attention. Experts from Cuba, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and the Pan-American Health organization are helping to combat the dengue disease. President Evo Morales has made a national appeal for a general mobilization to impede the spread of the disease by eliminating stagnant waters and garbage where the larvae of the mosquito proliferates during the rainy season in the tropical regions of Bolivia. This coming weekend all citizens from Santa Cruz city have been requested to get involved in a "clean and clear up" neighbourhood campaign. "It's the responsibility of every Bolivian to help fight a disease that is causing so much harm to families; it's the responsibility of the authorities and officials but also of every head of family and citizen to impede the spread of the disease", said Morales during an official ceremony. Dengue causes head aches, abdominal pains, vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration and makes patients loose appetite and feel exhausted. But the haemorrhagic strain can cause bleeding and death. Bolivian sanitary authorities fear the number of cases could balloon to 50.000 by the end of the month. A similar epidemic in neighbouring Paraguay in 2007 caused 17 deaths and contagion to 27.000 people.