DAR ES SALAAM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities said on Monday they were working hard to control a further spread of dengue fever which has killed two people as confirmed cases rose from 307 in April to 1,122 by last week.
"It's unfortunate that two people have been killed by the disease. Authorities are working hard to make sure that there are no more deaths and the number of cases does not rise," Ummy Mwalimu, the Minister for Health, told Xinhua in an interview.
Mwalimu said most of the cases were confirmed in Dar es Salaam's municipalities of Ilala, Temeke, Kinondoni and Ubungo followed by Tanga region and one case has been reported in Singida region in central Tanzania.
She said Dar es Salaam authorities have formed a special committee dealing with raising awareness of the disease, setting up laboratories and treatment to affected people.
"The challenge we are facing is scarcity of facilities for testing the disease," said Mwalimu, appealing to members of the public to reinforce cleanliness in their areas, including fumigating water pools that were breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
On April 11, the Deputy Minister for Health, Faustine Ndugulile, confirmed the outbreak of dengue fever with a total of 307 cases in Dar es Salaam and Tanga regions.
Symptoms of dengue fever typically begin three to 14 days after infection, which may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash.
