November 20, 2009 15:12 PM

Mexico Reports Haemorrhagic Dengue Fever Death

MEXICO CITY, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Mexico's eastern coastal state Campeche on Thursday reported its first death case of hemorrhagic dengue fever, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

The identity of the victim has not been released yet.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry of Campeche State said that there were 132 new dengue cases in one week, among whom 15 percent suffered the deadliest haemorrhagic variant.

Dengue, an incurable endemic disease in tropical areas, is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito which breeds in stagnant water. The Mexican states that were hit worst by heavy rains in late October and early November are now all facing an outbreak of dengue.

Epidemiologists suspect that the hemorrhagic dengue is caused by two different dengue viruses infecting one person at the same time.

According to World Health Organization's records, the haemorrhagic variant that causes massive blood loss usually only affects less than 2 percent of dengue cases.

Besides Campeche, dengue has also begun spreading in Veracruz and Tabasco, the two states that suffered the heaviest rains in the country. Beginning this week, medical workers started to carry out anti-mosquito spraying activities in the two states.

Enrique Ivan Gonzalez Lopez, head of Campeche's health department, said Campeche will also begin a spraying campaign soon.

Mexico has so far recorded some 105,000 suspect cases of dengue, and some 50,000 of them have been confirmed, said the Mexican Health Ministry's health promotion department.

-- BERNAMA

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