photo: AFP
An outbreak of Dengue fever has hit Costa Rica particularly hard this winter. So far, almost 7,000 have been made ill by the debilitating sickness.
Many of the cases have been reported in the tourist areas of that country. This is the highest number of cases ever registered in Costa Rica, and it is nearly triple the maximum registered in any year.
This recent outbreak is not only unusual, but it is straining the resources of the local authorities, who are at a loss to understand what might have caused the sudden surge.
Usually a rise in the number of cases is expected if the rainy season is longer and wetter. But this year, Costa Rica has been experiencing a dry spell.
So far there is no cure for the virus, which is a recombination of four strains, and is spread by a mosquito called Aedes aegypti.
Local authorities in Costa Rica are trying to pursue a plan that will see a wider use of mosquito insecticides.
The WHO has recently issued a report that Dengue fever cases are being underreported, causing a rise in disease among travelers and tourists who are not being alerted to the localities where the disease is present in higher numbers.
In some cases the disease can be fatal, and even in its milder form, it can make a person severely ill for months.
Source: France 24/ 4.11.13
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