By Alex Murtha From Homeland Preparedness News

An outbreak of dengue fever first identified in May continues to affect multiple regions in the Ivory Coast, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The first cases of the outbreak were reported to public health authorities on April 22 and were confirmed by an independent laboratory six days later. By mid-July, a total of 623 suspected cases have been reported, which have resulted in two deaths.

Out of the 192 cases confirmed by independent laboratory testing, 66 percent of those infected tested positive for dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2), 29 percent tested for DENV-3, and five percent confirmed for DENV-1.

Ninety cases were also confirmed positive for Immunoglobulin M (IgM), an antibody produced in the body as an immune response to dengue infection.

According to the WHO, the majority of cases have appeared in Abidjan City, while the Cocody Bingerville health district accounted 78 percent of cases and 80 percent of all confirmed cases. Additionally, the general trend of suspected cases of dengue fever has been increasing, growing from 37 new cases from June 27 – July 4 to 142 new suspected cases appearing from July 4 – July 11.

To address the spread of the disease, the Ivory Coast’s Ministry of Health is conducting a number of mosquito vector control interventions, including eliminating the many breeding sites that appear throughout the affected areas and recycling non-essential containers that provide adequate habitats for mosquito larvae.

More than 17,000 households were inspected and more than 250,000 mosquito breeding sites were eliminated or treated.

While the number of cases continues to increase, the WHO said that the overall risk assessment was moderate and the low fatality rate showed adequate case management at this time.

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