Santo Domingo, October 26 (RHC)-- Some 97 people have died so far this year from dengue in the Dominican Republic, Collective Health director Jose Manuel Puello said.

According to Puello, 8,438 suspected cases of dengue have been reported, of which 97 have died.  The provinces with the highest incidence in recent weeks are Santo Domingo and the National District, Azua, Espaillat, La Vega, Hermanas Mirabal, Sanchez Ramirez, Santiago, Monte Plata and San Cristobal.

Puello and Health minister Altagracia Guzman addressed the issue of dengue during a roundtable with the Dominican Evangelical Church Social Service.

Dengue is one of the most rapidly expanding infectious disease problems in Latin America and an estimated 544 million people in the region are at risk, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).