Health report: Bolivia sees increasing spread of Dengue fever

LIMA, Jan. 3 (Chinese media) -- The Amazon region of Bolivia

has been undergoing a spread of Dengue fever, with more than 550 cases reported

in the past four weeks, the Bolivian Health Ministry said Saturday.

The spread was especially rapid in the two eastern

provinces of Pando and El Bani, according to sources in the Bolivian capital

LaPaz.

About 450 cases and 100 cases were found in Pando and

El Bani respectively in the past four weeks, among which four were the deadly

hemorrhagic type, the ministry said in a report.

Recent heavy rainfalls and floods in the Amazon

region created perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes and caused the disease to

spread. There were 1,400 cases reported in Bolivia last year, the report said.

Bolivia has taken measures to enhance health and

epidemic prevention efforts in the flood-hit areas in an effort to stop the

spread of the disease.

Dengue fever is a painful, debilitating disease

transmitted by mosquitoes. Also known as "break bone fever," dengue fever's

symptoms include high temperatures and muscle aches.

There are an estimated 50 to 100 million cases of

dengue fever annually around the world and approximately 25,000 deaths.