The Ministry of Public Health has declared an outbreak of dengue cases in the Dominican Republic. Public Health Minister Daniel Rivera says the number of cases has reached 6,101, with 758 cases reported in the past week. Deputy Minister for Collective Health Eladio Perez says the number of cases is expected to continue to increase for another four weeks.
The cases are attributed to the intense heat combined with rains and inadequate accumulation of clean water in households around the country. This creates breeding grounds for the faster reproduction of the larvae of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the transmitter of the seasonal tropical disease.
Of the 6,101 cases registered so far, Dr. Perez specified that 3,810 were severe. Likewise, 3,444 corresponded to the females and 2,657 to males. The population from 10 to 19 years old is the most affected, followed by those from five to nine years old.
Most cases of dengue fever have been concentrated in urban areas such as Santo Domingo East, National District and Santiago. There is also an outbreak of cases in Santo Domingo North.
Dr. Perez says the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reports that this year has the most registered cases in history, surpassing previous limits. So far this year, 3,341,755 cases have been reported in the region, compared to 3,100,000 in 2019, the year that had been reported as the year with the most spread up to this point.
Since last week, it has been observed how the admissions of patients with dengue has been increasing, with the child population being the most affected by the disease. The centers that have treated the most cases are the Hugo Mendoza Pediatric Hospital, the Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital, Jaime Mota, Plaza de la Salud and Unión Médica del Norte. As of Tuesday, 83 children with suspected dengue fever were admitted to the Hugo Mendoza Pediatric Hospital. Most patients are discharged after three days of hospitalization. The disease is self-limiting yet can last to 10 days.
There are more frequent complications when the disease affects children under one year and those who are obese.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
11 September 2023