DENGUE – Death of dengue in Honduras rises to 117 in 2019

The deputy director of the state Permanent Contingency Commission (Copeco), Julio Quiñónez, told reporters that the new cases of death from severe dengue, known as hemorrhagic, were confirmed through a laboratory.

He added that another 33 cases of dengue death have been ruled out and more than 50 are in laboratory analysis tests.

"We continue to work and make an enormous effort to lower the incidence, we have four consecutive weeks that cases (dengue) have been declining, but unfortunately 117 deaths are confirmed," said Quiñónez.

This year, according to figures from the Ministry of Health, some 66,000 have suffered dengue in Honduras, in what constitutes the worst epidemic of this disease in the Central American country.

The official said that about 70% of those killed were under 15 and the largest number of people infected with dengue are concentrated in the departments of Cortés, Santa Bárbara and Comayagua, in the north, west and center of Honduras.

Honduran authorities have undertaken measures in recent weeks to prevent the spread of dengue, such as fumigation in homes and training of hospital staff, and have continued to call on the population to keep their homes clean to stop the epidemic.

In 2018, four deaths from severe dengue were recorded in Honduras, according to official figures.

Between last January and August 9, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) registered more than 2 million people infected with dengue in America, with an incidence of 207.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and 723 dead.

Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua have decreed epidemiological alerts in their territories.

In mid-August, Honduras and Nicaragua agreed to jointly combat dengue, a disease caused by the "Aedes Aegypti" mosquito.

According to the latest PAHO report, Nicaragua has an incidence of 736.47 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Brazil with 645.58, Honduras with 464.39, and Belize, which reports 169.37.