Dengue Decreases 72.6% Compared to Last Year

The Public Health Ministry reported Monday that so far this year, the number of dengue cases has fallen 72.6% compared to the same period last year. However, the ministry also advised citizens to not let down their guards against the mosquitoborne disease.

From the beginning of the year until Sept. 16, 7,321 cases of dengue were registered, a drop from the 26,714 cases reported during the same period in 2005, said Public Health Minister María Avila.

Costa Rica saw an outbreak of dengue last year, and the hemorrhagic form of the disease killed one person (TT, Aug. 26).

The areas most affected by the disease this year have been the northern Pacific (1,257 cases), the Southern Zone (1,162 cases) and the central Pacific (1,031 cases), while 819 cases have been reported in the San José area.

Citizens who have already had dengue are susceptible to contracting it in its deadly, hemorrhagic form and should be particularly cautious, Avila said. Five cases of hemorrhagic dengue have been reported during the past few weeks.