2009 Bolivian dengue fever epidemic

Disease outbreak in Bolivia right|thumb|300px|Bolivia's location within South America right|thumb|100px|A TEM micrograph showing Dengue virus virions (the cluster of dark dots near the center). right|thumb|100px|Dengue fever is being transmitted by mosquitoes. The 2009 Bolivian dengue fever epidemic was an epidemic of dengue fever which struck Bolivia in early 2009, escalating into a national emergency by February. The BBC described it as the worst outbreak of dengue fever in the country's history. At least 18 people died and 31,000 were infected by the mosquito-transmitted arbovirus. On 20 February, the Pan American Health Organization reported that eighty (80) cases of the more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever had occurred in Bolivia since January, of which 22% were fatal. Bolivia requested outside assistance and foreign aid. Background Bolivia first declared a national emergency in early February 2009, when it alerted the world about the country's worst outbreak of dengue fever in twenty-two years.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7866908.stm Dengue fever outbreak in Bolivia 2009-02-03 2009-02-26 BBC https://web.archive.org/web/20090206170249/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7866908.stm 6 February 2009 live By 3 February, five people had died in the east of the country and over 7,000 more were infected. Worst hit is the Santa Cruz Department, near the Paraguayan border and the Amazon. A number of military facilities, particularly in the city of Santa Cruz, were turned into temporary hospitals as the real hospitals struggled to cope with the conditions. Thousands of soldiers were mobilized to assist medical workers. The government then allocated funds to supply hospitals across the country; however, it was criticised in some quarters for the slowness of its actions. The infection was most widespread in the tropical eastern lowlands, where conditions led to a thriving mosquito population. Bolivia's healthcare services had difficulty in coping with the outbreak, with experts from Venezuela, Cuba, Paraguay and the World Health Organization called in to assist. Foreign aid JPN Hirofumi Nakasone, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs planned to send seven million yen in emergency relief goods. Mosquito transmission Mosquitoes thrive in the high temperatures and humidity of the Bolivian lowlands and it was that region which saw the highest numbers of infected civilians. There is currently no vaccine for dengue fever. Those infected experience flu-like symptoms such as severe headaches, fevers and joint pain. 1 of 4 people infected with dengue will develop symptoms.https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/symptoms/index.html Symptoms and Treatment Dengue CDC 2019-09-26 www.cdc.gov en-us 2019-10-18 There is no specific treatment for dengue, other than managing the symptoms. The best way to address dengue is to disrupt the mosquito's habitat. Mosquitos breed in stagnant water, i.e. open storage containers, discarded tires, and uncollected garbage.Schmidt Wolf-Peter Suzuki Motoi Dinh Thiem Vu White Richard G. Tsuzuki Ataru Yoshida Lay-Myint Yanai Hideki Haque Ubydul Huu Tho Le Anh Dang Duc Ariyoshi Koya 2011-08-30 Population Density, Water Supply, and the Risk of Dengue Fever in Vietnam: Cohort Study and Spatial Analysis PLOS Medicine 8 8 e1001082 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001082 1549-1277 3168879 21918642 free The infected are advised by medical experts to drink plenty of fluids and obtain significant rest. Dengue fever sufferers have an approximate 1% chance of progressing to the more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever. 1 of 20 individuals who become ill with dengue will develop severe dengue. Severe dengue can lead to life-threatening condition including shock, internal bleeding, or death. Other symptoms include hypothermia, vomiting, severe abdominal pain and confusion. The global average case-fatality ratio for dengue hemorrhagic fever is 5%.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7912677.stm Dengue fever worsens in Bolivia 2009-02-26 2009-02-26 BBC https://web.archive.org/web/20090301140917/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7912677.stm 1 March 2009 live See also 2009 West African meningitis outbreak References External links Dengue fever at the BBC Dengue fever at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pan American Health Organisation https://web.archive.org/web/20090302190835/http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?lang=en 2009-03-02 dengue Category:2009 disease outbreaks Category:Health in Bolivia Bolivia Category:Disease outbreaks in Bolivia Category:2009 disasters in Bolivia