Peru’s Health Ministry has identified four cases of dengue in Lima, CNR news service reported.
The four people came down with dengue while in the jungle city of Iquitos, where Health Minister Oscar Ugarte estimates there are some 10,000 probable cases and 6,000 proven cases. To date, 11 people have died in the Iquitos area.
In Lima, the four cases have been hospitalized in isolation, and authorities are working to prevent the spread of the infectious disease with health campaigns.
Ugarte said Loreto department, where Iquitos is located, has the necessary resources to address the health issue -including a special fund for infectious diseases- and that it is not necessary to declare an emergency. Cases have been reported along the rivers Huallaga, Ucayali and Marañon but Ugarte said health authorities are working to avoid the spread to cities south of Iquitos, such as Pucallpa and Tarapoto, and to the north of the country.
Outbreaks of the fever are seasonal, with increased cases during the hot summers (Jan-March). Dengue is a series of viruses spread by mosquitoes and strikes people with low levels of immunity. The symptoms are similar to those of a bad flu, including headaches and severe joint pains.
The ministry says the dengue that has been reported is a new strain with different symptoms, according to daily El Comercio. Unlike dengue hemorrhagic fever, the new strain does not produce high fevers but will result and abdominal pains that could lead to shock.
