The Minister of State for Health declared on Wednesday, that the outbreak of dengue fever has ended, although it continues to have sporadic cases in Fogo and Santiago, due to the persistence of nurseries of mosquitos, primarily in-home care. Faced with the threat of the disease becoming endemic, Basilio Ramos, on behalf of the Government of Cape Verde, launches an urgent appeal to the Cape Verdeans, institutions (public and private) to continue the fight against mosquitoes, thus saving the occurrence Cape Verde other epidemics.

Basilio Ramos who called the press this morning to take stock of the situation of the dengue epidemic which struck the country from October to December 2009, stressed that thanks to a tenacious struggle initiated by various sectors of Cape Verdean society under the guidance Government, and with the support of the international community, the number of suspected cases has decreased and now the end of December, the outbreak was under control.

"The situation continued to develop favorably registering in the last four weeks, 70, 65, 50 and 23 cases respectively, particularly in the municipalities of St. Philip, the beach, others in the interior of Santiago. It should be noted that there were days that there were no cases, "he said.

Basilio Ramos moved even the most recent data are from January 26, which have experienced 4 cases, saying the outbreak is over, although there are still sporadic on the islands of Fogo and Santiago, due to the persistence of incubators mosquitoes, primarily in-home care, as evidenced by an entomological survey carried out last week.

For the incumbent Minister of Health, despite the great efforts made and results achieved, the poor state of sanitation coupled with the pattern of the population, the risk continues to occur sporadically and the disease becomes endemic in Cape Verde can not be discarded.

So it remains Basilio Ramos, since the vector (Aedes aegypti) is present in all the islands and that the occurrence depends on the rate of infestation above a certain limit, "it is imperative that we continue to fight against the mosquito in all corners of the country, particularly in homes and surroundings. "

Santiago, Fogo, Maio and Brava islands with larger numbers of dengue

Advanced Information by the Minister of Health indicate that from late September 2009 began in Cape Verde is an epidemic of Dengue virus type 3, particularly the islands of Santiago, Fogo and Brava in May, affecting about 21,300 people. Of that number 174 have progressed to hemorrhagic fever and 4 died.

In this regard, Basilio Ramos stated that studies to confirm the cause of the deaths of suspected dengue, dimissed two, one female and one male. Of the 4 deaths due to dengue, three are female and one male, all adults living in Praia.

Dengue - information - previously unknown in the country, and therefore initially considered a virus, was identified by laboratory testing on 21 October at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar, and the epidemic reached its peak on the 4th of November with the record 1105 cases.

Face the end of the outbreak of dengue, the Government expresses its appreciation for the selfless and health professionals, the military, civil protection, local councils, civil society and the Cape Verdean population at large participated in combating the epidemic dengue. He also thanked the international community for solidarity support you provided.