Dengue fever is on the rise in Mali with more than 20 deaths, health director says

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Authorities say dengue fever is on the rise in Mali, posing a new threat to the West African nation struggling with extremist attacks and political turbulence. The director general of health and public hygiene tells The Associated Press in an interview that his department had counted 21 deaths and 600 cases of the disease as of Monday. Dengue is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes that mostly causes flu-like illness. There is no specific treatment. A new epidemic of dengue fever risks worsening the humanitarian situation in Mali, especially among the large population of displaced people.