Dengue fever is spreading in Bolivia. Authorities report twice as many infections as in the previous year, hospitals are reaching their limits.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra – Bolivia is currently battling a major outbreak of dengue fever. According to the authorities, thousands of people have been infected in the South American country since the beginning of the year, and 26 people have died from the virus.
Large dengue outbreak in Bolivia: Landet reports twice as many infections as in the previous year
As the Bolivian news agency “ABI” reported on Wednesday (local time), 6,845 cases of dengue virus infections have been registered since January. “The country is currently experiencing a major outbreak of dengue fever, with the number of cases twice as high as in the previous year,” says the current travel information from the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Especially in the south-eastern department of Santa Cruz on the border with Brazil, hospitals would reach their limits. Three quarters of the infections in Bolivia are reported there, which is why the area is currently considered the epicenter of the dengue virus.
Due to the rapid spread, dozens more hospital beds would now be made available, and additional doctors and nursing staff would be deployed. Children are particularly affected by the virus. In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the capital of the department, more than half of the dengue patients in the clinics are minors.
Dengue virus: symptoms and spread
Dengue generally belongs to the type of arboviruses identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) be traded as a possible candidate for a new pandemic. The viruses can be transmitted in large parts of the country by diurnal “Aedes mosquitoes”. Typical symptoms are fever, skin rash and severe body aches. “In rare cases, serious complications including possible death occur, especially in children,” continues the Foreign Office. A specific therapy does not exist. Dengue occurs worldwide in the tropics and subtropics. According to the Robert Koch Institute, a total of three billion people live in dengue risk areas. (nz with dpa material)
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