An epidemic of dengue fever broke out in eastern Chad in early August. The Ministry of Health reports this on Wednesday. Dengue fever or dengue is a viral disease transmitted by a mosquito, the severe forms of which are rare but can be fatal.
The outbreak was registered in Abéché, the capital of the Ouaddaï region, about 650 km east of the capital N’Djamena. “On August 7, the existence of the epidemic was confirmed, but at the moment we have not registered any deaths,” the ministry said.
Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and is a virus that is widespread in warm countries and mainly occurs in urban and semi-urban areas. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it causes between 100 million and 400 million infections each year.
Dengue can cause high fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches and, in the most severe cases, bleeding that can lead to death.
“People with severe symptoms should receive immediate care. (…) Residents and travelers staying in districts where dengue fever is currently prevalent must take measures to prevent the spread of the disease,” the ministry said.
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