Mosquitoes are spreading agents for the deadly dengue virus. Photo Credit: AFP
Dengue fever has killed at least 20 people in Burkina Faso where about 2,000 cases of the disease have been recorded, BBC Afrique reports.
Dengue is a mosquito borne disease which is prevalent in sub-tropical and tropical regions, including Africa.
It is a major cause of illness worldwide, causing about 100 million episodes of feverish illness a year.
The outbreak of the disease in Burkina Faso has caused alarm among the population, and officials are trying to avoid any widespread panic.
One man who lost his brother to the disease told BBC Afrique “Dengue fever is a killer. When it gets you to the stage of those headaches, it no longer forgives. My younger brother did not even have to a chance say what was wrong. We just found him dead.”
Cases of dengue in Burkina Faso have been reported from all 12 districts of Ouagadougou, the capital, the World Health Organisation says.
Two other regions – the Sahel Region in the north and the Hauts-Bassins region in the west – have also reported cases.
Source: BBC Africa
