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Saturday, March 3, 2012

Timor-Leste : Spike in dengue raises health concern

Via IRIN News, excerpt :

" An increase in the number of suspected dengue cases in Timor-Leste in 2012, compared with the same period last year, has prompted government health and sanitation warnings.

The mosquito-borne virus causes flu-like symptoms known as dengue. If not properly treated, the more severe form of the disease, known as dengue haemorrhagic fever, has harsher symptoms and can be fatal.

As of 24 February, the Ministry of Health had received 563 reports of dengue (161 confirmed by laboratory tests) in every district except one, including 192 reports of dengue haemorrhagic fever that causes severe abdominal pain, vomiting and in worst cases, death.

This is a 36 percent increase over reports for the first two months of 2011.

As of 1 March, 10 people had died from dengue, according to the government."

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