Death Toll from Dengue Rises to 74 in Honduras

TEGUCIGALPA – Two children died last week from hemorrhagic dengue in Honduras, raising the death toll from the disease to 74.

The latest victims are a 5-month-old boy who died in Tocoa, a city in northeastern Honduras, and a 12-year-old girl who died in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, Health Ministry National Dengue Program chief Roxana Araujo said over the weekend.

At least 62,576 cases of classic dengue and 2,555 of hemorrhagic dengue have been confirmed in the Central American country this year.

The disease’s spread, however, has slowed, with 17 percent fewer cases of classic dengue being reported in the past two weeks, Araujo said.

Dengue, a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is characterized by high fever, intense headaches, muscle pain, gastro-intestinal problems and rashes.

Hemorrhagic dengue, in addition to having the symptoms associated with classic dengue, can also produce internal bleeding.

Health officials continue trying to eradicate the mosquito, with efforts being expanded during the rainy season, Araujo said.

Hemorrhagic dengue killed 12 people – four adults and eight children – in the Central American country in 2009.