Bolivia confirms 3 Chikungunya deaths amid red alert
Bolivia has confirmed three deaths and 2,913 cases of Chikungunya fever in the eastern department of Santa Cruz, health officials announced Wednesday.
The fatalities include two men aged 83 and 56, and a 78-year-old woman, according to Carlos Hurtado, head of Epidemiology at the Santa Cruz Departmental Health Service, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.
Hurtado cautioned that the outbreak has not yet reached its peak and called on residents to remain alert. Authorities declared a red alert on February 9 in response to the rapid increase in infections.
The current positivity rate has climbed to 65%, the highest since the outbreak began. More than half of confirmed infections — about 55% — have been recorded in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the department’s capital.
At present, 32 patients are hospitalized, including seven who are in serious condition, health officials said.
The red alert, issued shortly after the first death was confirmed, has led to intensified mosquito control operations, fumigation campaigns, and enhanced epidemiological surveillance across 27 affected municipalities.
Chikungunya fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease marked by sudden high fever, intense joint and muscle pain, headaches, and fatigue.
News.Az
By Nijat Babayev
