MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

First death caused by dengue reported in north Argentina

A 65 year old man is the first confirmed death of the mosquito transmitted dengue disease in the north of Argentina, it was officially informed Wednesday. The area where the case was reported, Tartagal, recently suffered a deadly mudslide which left thousand in precarious living conditions.

Two other deaths, a child of 9 and another man of 61, are been investigated to determine the decease cause, said the Ministry of Public Health from the province of Salta.

The ministry also revealed that on average 160 cases of high fever and dengue symptoms are reported in the improvised tent hospitals set up by local authorities and the Armed Forces.

So far Argentina has 400 confirmed cases of dengue, the classic non lethal strain, and 1.500 suspected cases which are been lab tested.

The majority of cases have been reported in the provinces of Salta and Jujuy neighbouring with Bolivia, which is suffering a severe epidemic of dengue that has so far caused 20 deaths and 35.000 confirmed cases.

Bolivian officials fear the number could balloon to 50.000 by the end of the month because of the tropical rainy season.

Other cases have been detected in the province of Chaco, neighbouring with Paraguay, which is also suffering from a dengue disease but much milder than in Bolivia.

Dengue is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito which proliferates in stagnant waters. The bite of the mosquito causes head aches, abdominal pains, dehydration, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and extreme fatigue. The more virulent haemorrhagic strain can cause death.