Brit tourist hotspot declares emergency over rising cases of deadly virus

27 February 2024 , 16:03

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A member of a health brigade fumigates a street against the dengue virus in Peru in 2023 (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

A top tourist destination popular with Brits has declared a health emergency amidst growing cases of a tropical disease.

Peru officials say they are seeing rising cases of dengue fever, declaring the emergency in most of its provinces. Cases, authorities said, were coinciding with higher than usual temperatures caused by the El Nino weather pattern.

The number of cases registered during the first seven weeks of the year were twice as high as they were in the same period last year, the South American nation's health ministry said. More than 31,000 cases of the illness - caused by mosquitoes - were recorded.

Health minister Cesar Vasquez described it as a "grave problem" which was "getting out of hand". Dengue fever is a virus transmitted in tropical climates by Aedys Egypti mosquitoes causing sudedn fever, joint pain and, in some instances, can be fatal. Young children and pregnant women are at particular risk.

The Peruvian government has said it would be transferring funds faster to affected regions to cover the extra demand for medical resources. It will cover 20 of the country's 24 provinces, including regions that surround the capital city of Lima.

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An epidemic of the virus in Peru last year resulted in 18 deaths. So far this year, 32 deaths have been recorded of the disease.

In December, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that Peru's 2023 dengue epidemic was linked to rains and hot temperatures that helped mosquito populations to grow, especially in the north of the country. Peru is visited by millions of tourists a year, many of whom travel to complete the Andes' Inca trail and Macchu Picchu.

Susie Beever