VENEZUELA: NATIONAL EPIDEMIC ALERT ANNOUNCED

Описание: (6 Aug 1996) Spanish/Nat

Venezuela's government has declared a national state of alert to prevent the outbreak of an epidemic of dengue.

The move comes in the midst of the country's rainy season which has already caused heavy floods and mudslides.

Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by a mosquito that spreads easily during rainy seasons.

Health officials in Venezuela are concerned about the possible outbreak of the painful tropical disease known as dengue fever.

Authorities have announced a national epidemic alert in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease.

The move includes a fumigation campaign throughout the country, especially in the capital's shantytowns where the disease takes its heaviest toll.

The national alert coincides with the country's rainy season- the perfect time for the mosquito-carried disease to spread.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
The problem is the rain, when the mosquito plague abounds, and the larvae reproduce. It's the same during the summer season. But if they fumigate two or three times a week they'll kill the mosquito little by little.
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop

The dengue mosquito breeds in water pools especially in stagnant waters found in plastic containers and bottles.

Dengue fever is extremely painful and can be deadly.

It strikes quickly leaving its victims with a high fever and severe pain in the joints.

In the most severe cases its victims suffer internal bleeding and death.

The Ministry of Health has launched a national awareness campaign to get the message across.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
I call on people's individual responsibility to keep the indoor and outside areas of their houses clean to avoid the breed of the aedes aegiptis mosquito, that is bottles, cans and everything that can hold water.
SUPER CAPTION: Eva Rodriguez, District Epidemics Director for the Ministry of Health

Over four-thousand cases have been reported in Venezuela this year.

Only two deaths have been reported this year compared to 13 deaths last year.

Despite the decrease in the number of cases this year authorities are not taking risks and say the alert will remain throughout the rainy season which ends in November.

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