TEGUCIGALPA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- About 66.3 percent of recent dengue deaths in Honduras have occurred among children under the age of 15, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in the Central American country reported Monday.
Health authorities in the country have so far confirmed 89 dengue-related deaths since January.
"Of the 89 confirmed deaths, 66.3 percent were under 15 years old, and of course, we are very worried," Piedad Huerta, a representative from PAHO, told reporters.
Honduras has been on national alert since July 2. President Juan Orlando Hernandez said that the spread of dengue recently was due to conditions provoked by climate change.
The government will allocate 9 million U.S. dollars to local authorities to fight the disease, he added.
There is yet no known vaccine or specific antibiotics against the mosquito-borne disease. Effective surveillance helps reduce cases and deaths if areas with clustering of cases are identified early.
Signs and symptoms of the disease are severe headache, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and skin rashes.
