Chad has reported its first dengue outbreak, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The country’s health ministry declared an outbreak on 15 August and so far 1,342 suspected cases have been reported, 41 of them confirmed in the laboratory. One death was reported among the patients with lab-confirmed cases. The outbreak started in Ouaddaï province in eastern Chad, currently the outbreak epicentre. Illnesses have also been reported in three other provinces. Godfred Akoto Boafo spoke to medical entomologist Eunice Anyango Owino about the disease.
What causes dengue fever and how does it affect people?
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by one of the four dengue virus serotypes. It is primarily transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and to a lesser extent the Aedes albopictus mosquito, mainly in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world.
