Dengue kills 9 in Peru's Amazonian region

Nine people has died of dengue fever in Peru's Amazonian region, an epidemiology official said Sunday. There are 1,400 dengue fever cases in the Ucayali region, located 550 km east of Lima, said Cayo Leveau, Ucayali Regional Agency's epidemiology chief. He added that 40 seriously ill patients will be moved to hospitals in the capital city. "We are preparing the final report and later we will communicate with the hospitals they will be transferred to," said Marco Solano, director of Ucayali's Emergency Operation Center. The Peruvian government has sent, from Lima, a medical team, medicines, and testing labs for the quick detection of the disease and avoidance of its spreading. Dengue fever is an infectious disease caused by Aedes mosquitoes living in tropical zones, with symptoms of high fever, head and joint aches,nausea, and rashes. If not promptly treated, it can be mortal.