Dengue fever, Nicaragua

The US Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua, has issued an alert that 1,752 confirmed cases of dengue fever were reported in Nicaragua from July to October 2009. The majority of cases were in the capital and in the department of Masaya.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-transmitted illness for which there is no vaccine and no specific treatment. A rare form of the disease, dengue hemorrhagic fever, is more severe and sometimes fatal; a few cases have been reported. Travelers should use anti-mosquito precautions. Visit http://Nicaragua.usaembassy.gov/travel_warnings.html.