Dengue, a potentially deadly viral tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes, appeared in Latin America earlier than usual this year and with increased force.
According to a March report by the Pan American Health Organization (OPS), 146 people have contracted dengue since the beginning of the year. people, of which 79 died. A year earlier, OPS informed about over 79 thousand. cases of illness and 26 deaths.
2010 will be a difficult year, especially when considering climatic factors such as El Nino, said Dr. Romeo Montoya, an OPS medical expert who studies mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus.
El Niño is a periodic thermal imbalance of the Earth that affects weather changes across the globe.
The countries most affected by dengue this year are Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, although all Latin American countries are on standby. This year, 21 people in Brazil have died because of it, and there has been a more than twofold increase in the number of cases compared to last year – 108. In Colombia, 22 people died and 28 fell ill, and in Venezuela, 16 were registered.
Dengue, a zoonotic disease that affects humans and some species of monkeys, is characterized by high fever, severe pain, and stiff joints. (PAP)