Public Health makes it official: chikungunya epidemic

Santo Domingo.- The country faces a chikungunya epidemic, Public Health minister Freddy Hidalgo warned Wednesday and demanded that various City councils improve their trash collection to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.

The official said despite that the outbreaks are centered in Nigua and Haina, in southern San Cristóbal province, cases began to be detected in other provinces after Easter Week, “so technically speaking, the country faces an epidemic.”

He said it’s a new virus against which the Dominican population has no immunity, and it’s expected to expand and affect a large number of people, so the best measure are to eliminate deposits of water that breed mosquitoes, the same one that transmits dengue.

Hidalgo said it’s important to abide by the recommended measures to halst the spread of the mosquito nationwide.