Death toll of dengue sufferers in Brazilian state Rio de Janeiro rose to 49, after the latest case was confirmed in the death of a 12-year-old child, health authorities said Sunday.
Around 36,000 people have suffered from the disease since the beginning of the year, and more than half of them in the city of Rio de Janeiro, creating a state of emergency in hospitals, the state's Health Secretariat said.
The total death toll nationwide could double if existing deaths are confirmed as caused by dengue.
The Secretariat reversed an earlier diagnosis of maternal dengue in the death of a pregnant woman, saying it still needs further clarification.
Health officials will meet on Monday to discuss an anti-dengue strategy, which could include sending soldiers to eliminate the disease-spreading mosquitoes.
Dengue is caused by four closely related viruses and is spread by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which breeds in still water. Its symptoms include high fever, nausea, rashes, backache and headaches.
Most mainstream dengue cases are not fatal, but the hemorrhagicvariant, which causes severe internal bleeding as blood vessels collapse, can kill up to 20 percent of its victims.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article