Dengue Fever Spreads to Cape Verde for First Time, Government Reports

Dengue fever, the deadly mosquito- borne disease for which there is no specific drug or vaccine, is spreading in Cape Verde for the first time, the World Health Organization said.

The epidemic, which cases to exceed three thousand, mainly affected the southern part of the country, including the islands of Santiago, Maio, Fogo and Brava.

The first samples of 3,367 suspected cases from four islands in the West African archipelago have been confirmed to be a strain of the dengue virus, the Geneva-based WHO said in an Oct. 30 statement.

No deaths reported

According governments officials, no deaths were reported since the outbreak.

On Thursday, in a statement to the press, the Ministry of Health, Basilio Ramos, denied the news about the death of a patient with dengue hemorrhagic fever in the hospital of Praia City, the capital of the country. The government says that of the three cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever under treatment at Praia's Central Hospital none died.

The Health Minister announced that the government is considering extending the opening hours in some health centers in order to decongest hospitals, for which demand has increased significantly with the dengue epidemic.

Basilio Ramos says that a strong anti-larval campaign has been unleashed throughout the country to prevent the spread of the disease. Measures have also been taken from the ports and airports to prevent the movement of the mosquito vectors of the dengue.

Two missions of the World Health Organization, one for the laboratory area and one for the viral infection are in the country and will assist in the evaluation of the situation.