The health ministry of Burkina Faso has announced that there is a widespread outbreak of dengue fever. There has been a significant increase in both the number of people getting sick and the number of deaths caused by the illness reported last week.
The virus spreads when mosquitoes that are carrying it bite people. As the climate gets hotter, bugs can flourish and live easily.
Over 200 people have died in Burkina Faso this year, making it the worst outbreak in a long time.
People are being encouraged to use free testing places and health screenings. Dengue fever may not show any signs, but if someone does develop symptoms, they can experience a high body temperature, headache, body pains, feeling sick to the stomach, and a skin rash.
The health department believes that there are over 50,000 people with the virus in Burkina Faso, mainly in the two largest cities – Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso.
The World Health Organization has recently alerted that half of the world’s population is now in danger of getting dengue fever. They also expressed concerns that the disease is becoming a bigger problem in the continent.
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Burkina Faso declares outbreak of dengue fever
