Combating dengue fever

El Salvador is in the midst of a national campaign against an epidemic of dengue fever. The mosquito-borne illness causes high fever, headache and joint ache, and in the hemorrhagic variant, can be fatal. 1965 cases of the disease have been reported in the first 70 days of 2010. The campaign consists of cleaning vacant lots, water disinfection and fumigation of houses, as well as ongoing education of Salvadorans on the importance of eliminating standing water where the mosquitoes breed. A dozen or more children died from dengue during 2009 in El Salvador.

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Unknown said…
We have a group returning to El Salvador next January for a 2-week eye clinic/mission. Some have expressed concern about the increased reports of Dengue fever infections. Do some areas of El Salvador experience a higher incidence rate of infection than others?
8:57 PM
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