As many as 13 people in Tanzania have died as a result of a dengue fever, while 6,677 people are infected with the virus across the country, Tanzanian Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Seniors and Children Ummy Mwalimu said, Trend reports citing Sputnik.
"We had data on six deaths, but the government made a new assessment and got a death toll of 13 across the country. There are 6,631 cases of infection and 11 deaths in Dar es Salaam region alone," the minister said, as quoted by Mwananchi newspaper.
Meanwhile, according to the minister, the spread of the virus has slowed. There were 536 cases of infection with the dengue virus in June, while only six cases have been reported since early July.
Dengue fever is transmitted by mosquitoes found in many areas in the world, including in the African countries. Symptoms might include headache, vomiting, skin rash and low blood pressure among others. It is mostly non-fatal, however, complications could lead to the death of the patient.