Peru battles 'aggressive' dengue virus outbreak

This is turning into a pandemic

www.asiaone.com....

LIMA - Health authorities have declared a red alert in Peru's northern Amazon jungle region following the outbreak of an "very aggressive" dengue strain that has killed 14 people and sickened thousands

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You can read the rest of the story on the link. Here is another link.


hisz.rsoe.hu...

Health authorities have declared a red alert in Peru's northern Amazon jungle region following the outbreak of a "very aggressive" dengue strain that has killed 14 people and sickened thousands. Dengue is endemic to the jungle region but until now Peru has largely dealt with the American strain of the disease. "[Authorities are facing] a new variety that we did not know in Peru and that probably entered from Brazil via the Amazon," health minister Oscar Ugarte told local reporters. About 13,000 people have been infected and at least 1,600 people have been hospitalised for treatment, a health official in Loreto, in north-eastern Peru. There is no vaccine for dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease. A senior Loreto health official, Hugo Rodriguez, says this dengue strain is known as the Asian-American variety, and unlike the American variety produces severe shock among victims. "It is a combination of both varieties," Mr Rodriguez said. Health officials in Iquitos, Peru's main city on the Amazon River located 1,000 kilometres north of Lima, has launched a fumigation program in an attempt to diminish the number of mosquitos. The virus can result in deadly fevers, especially among children: half of those killed were minors.

Here is some information on Dengue:

www.cdc.gov...


On this web site is a map showing the distribution of Dengue:

www.lawestvector.org...

reply to post by Iamschist


Starred and flagged. Frightening stuff. The distribution map in particular is disturbing.

Thanks for the report.

lol how do you have 4 flags with only 2 replys???I didn't flag but it's a good thread and thanks for it..but seriously how'd you get more flags than replys?

reply to post by ArieZ


Some members or mods flag without replying . North Queensland has also had a big increase in Dengue as of late,lots of water and heat means lots of mosquitoes.

reply to post by 12voltz


ohhhh ok thanks lol I didnt even know you could do that

Not Nice ....

Dengue fever is a Viral disease spread by Mosquitoes and is all too easily spread without knowing about the initial infection....

There is NO cure for it as the patient should normally recover BUT with ever increasingly Virulent strains then it might become more serious over time...... it is Not however contagious person to person..... The infected will only act as hosts to the viru s so that other Mossies can bite and pick up the virus....

On the subject of Mosquitoes - take a look at the attached link.. (Not for the Squeamish!)..........

www.boreme.com...

Apparently the 'initial infection' was from a Mosquitoe bite which laid this offending thing in the bloke's hand !

We will all be walking around in lead suits soon ....

Regards

PDUK

As someone who has spent a lot of time in Peru in the past ten years, I am sorry to hear this.

But more than that, it's a little worriesome.

Peru doesn't have great resources when it comes this sort of thing....

Recent outbreaks of dengue in places like Peru, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Trinidad aren't in highly developed countries, so are reported but not a great deal of attention is paid to them, as 12volt pointed out above it is popping up in Australia.

The situation seems to be worsening.

Public appeal against dengue by queensland officials

Reportedly there are 33 cases of people affected with dengue in Townsville itself. A sharp spur is observed in the cases, with the number doubling itself from the last week.

Dengue outbreak

Authorities are warning of a dengue fever outbreak in cyclone-devastated north Queensland as an influx of volunteers and workers arrive to help communities recover.

Dengue fever spreads in north queensland

The number of cases of dengue fever in cyclone-hit north Queensland has more than doubled this week.

Thanks to those of you who visited this thread. When I worked in Hospital, another name for Dengue was "bone break fever", because of the extreme pain the infection can cause. I have nothing to back this up other than hearsay, but I was told "there is not enough morphine in the world to stop the pain". Convinced me, it must really hurt.

Here are some addtional links:

www.lonelyplanet.com...

lima.usembassy.gov...

www.ft.com...

There is every reason to think this new dengue, more aggressive, will like the original, move north. I am not sure how long it took for Dengue to reach the US originally, but I remember reading that it was predicted to with the climate warming up. It did.

Although not common in the United States, there have been several reported cases in Texas. In October of 1995 the Texas Department of Health confirmed the state's first case of locally contracted dengue (9). Previously, there had been confirmed cases in the state, but they occurred in people who had traveled out of the country.

www.austincc.edu...

I expect the CDC will be watching closely

Seems to be that the dengue fever outbreak in Australia is a particularly severe type.

'Vicious' dengue takes hold in far north Qld

Authorities are very concerned about the spread of a "vicious'' strain of dengue fever in far north Queensland. Twenty people have now been diagnosed with type two dengue at east Innisfail, south of Cairns. Another five have tested positive for type four dengue. Dr Jeffrey Hanna from Queensland Health says about half of those diagnosed have been hospitalised. "The dengue two is certainly a vicious strain of the virus," he said.

Virulent Dengue fever strain spreads in Qld

reply to post by whatisanameanyway


I am very sorry to hear that. I am no expert, but it seems like this virus has mutated, in a not good way for humans. I hope the authorities are able to get it under control. Certainly Australia is having more than her share right now. Thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Just to update this thread. This is dated Feb.15,2011 and is the most recent information I could find. It appears to be increasing in severity and numbers of those infected.

"An outbreak of dengue fever across much of Latin America has killed 31 people since the start of the year and is showing no sign of relenting," Agence France-Presse/News 24 reports in a piece that notes the recent increase in dengue cases in the region over the past few years. Since the start of the year, "nearly 46,600 confirmed or suspected cases have been detected in the region, according to an AFP tally based on official figures," the news service reports.

www.news-medical.net...

I know a lot about dengue fever, I am from Puerto Rico, I got infected when I was 14 years old in the seventies, nasty stuff and compare to the US flu is the worst I ever had, it attacks the nervous system rendering you like a pile of painful gelatin.

My mother got infected during the 80s when a new hemorrhagic mutation sprouted she was in quarantine for a month.

Dengue fever can be controlled as is seasonal by keeping the mosquito population down, but in many poor countries the government doesn't have the money to do that.

reply to post by marg6043


Thank you for your input, you are the first person I have gotten a personal experience from. It sounds as horrific as I thought it was. Wow a month for your poor Mother. They are saying this is a more agressive strain, and people are dying. How long before you recovered if I may ask?

reply to post by Iamschist


After the 80s is been a mutation going on around, the only reason that is no as many cases in PR is due to the mosquito population control.

The mutation causes people to hemorrage and without proper medical care mortality is going to be a problem.

My mother was one of the first know cases in PR she survived because she spend a month in the hospital two weeks in intensive care the rest was just precausions.

If you can not afford to pay for medical care like many poor countries in south america can't, then you may not survive the mutating versions of the virus.