2024-07-03 12:00:00
The health authorities in El Salvador raised an epidemic alarm because of many serious cases of dengue infections in children.
“Unfortunately, as of today, July 2, three children have died and another 25 children are in hospital, four of them in a critical condition,” explained The Minister of Health Francisco Alabí on Tuesday (local time) in a videopublished by the Ministry of Health of the Central American country on X.
Alabi warned that dengue fever was killing perfectly healthy children: “They had no illnesses before.”
Dengue virus causes high fever and pain
In 2023, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recorded a historic high of this viral disease in the region, with a total of 4.5 million cases and 2,379 deaths. But in the first half of 2024 alone, the figures from the previous year will be far surpassed. According to the PAHO, ten million people have fallen ill on the American continent so far this year, and 5,041 deaths have been confirmed.
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The dengue virus is transmitted through the yellow fever mosquito. The disease causes fever and severe pain and can cause internal bleeding.
Due to higher temperatures and extreme weather conditions as a result of climate change, the vector is spreading more and more. With the start of what is expected to be a very active hurricane season, most countries in Central America and the Caribbean are warning of another rapid increase in dengue infections and are stepping up preventive measures to fight against yellow fever, but so far very little. success (epd)
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