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Venezuela | edited by promedmail.org, Thu 11 Aug  2010

The vice minister for the Collective Health Networks, Miriam Morales, stated yesterday [10 Aug 2010] that up to epidemiological week 30 (25-31 Jul 2010), the Ministry of Health registered a cumulative total of 68 753 [dengue] cases, of which 6418 are DHF. During that week there were 3348 new [dengue] illnesses.  These figures exceed the cumulative total for 2009, which closed with [a total of] 65 869 affected individuals, of which 5149 suffered DHF. While the difference with respect to last year [2009] is 2884 cases more; what is worrying is the occurrence of DHF, which, in comparison to 2009, has increased in incidence by 24.6 percent.

Oswaldo Godoy, former Ministry of Health epidemiologist, stated that the [number of] dengue cases, given the current panorama, will exceed 80 000 by the end of 2010.  He stated that the epidemic began in May 2009, so it now has been going on for 14 months. Despite spending millions for prevention and education, there continue to be reported more than 2000 [dengue] patients per week.

All 4 dengue virus serotypes are circulating [in the country].

Venezuela, July 18, 2010:
Dengue fever has increased more than 80 percent over 2009 figures and almost 10 percent of the cases have been hemorrhagic dengue fever, which can be fatal.  The states most affected are Miranda, Merida, and the Capital District of Caracas.  The government has implemented a program to control mosquitoes by fumigating homes and destroying breeding sites, but the only sure way to avoid the disease is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.