Dengue death rate too high

[NewsWhore]

The Dominican Republic's death rate from dengue is 15% higher than the accepted average. International organizations quote 1% as the typical death rate for victims of the mosquito-borne disease, but in the Dominican Republic the fatality rate is currently at 16%, with 27 deaths out of 3,700 suspected cases. Yesterday, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) representative for the DR, Cristina Noguiera, said that she was worried about the situation and attributed the high number of fatalities to poor handling of the cases. She also pointed to the lack of potable water and deficiencies in hygiene and garbage collections in the country. Noguiera said that a lack of basic hygiene in the Dominican Republic allows mosquitoes to breed, and she called on mayors to help in the fight to eliminate breeding areas. She added that "if there is adequate handling of cases, only 1% of the patients might die, and the nearly 16% that we have in the Dominican Republic is really pitiful". Public Health Minister Bautista Rojas Gomez reminded reporters of the long-standing campaigns that emphasize the use of covers and chlorine in water storage vessels. He also mentioned the poor handling of some cases, such as a child who was brought to Santo Domingo from La Romana by car, with a blocked saline drip. The boy died as he reached the Children's Hospital, and the case is under investigation.

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