MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th June, 2023) Peruvian Health Minister Rosa Gutierrez has resigned amid a dengue outbreak in the country that has already killed nearly 250 people, the presidential office said on Friday.
The minister was summoned to parliament on Thursday evening to consider her removal from office, but Gutierrez announced her resignation herself during a speech to lawmakers, Peruvian news agency Andina reported.
"President of the Republic Dina Boluarte has accepted the resignation of Health Minister Rosa Gutierrez, whom she thanked for her hard and honest work," the presidential office said on Twitter.
According to official figures, the death toll from Peru's dengue fever outbreak has risen to 248 people and the number of reported cases has surpassed 146,000. The outbreak could worsen as heavy rains caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon increase the population of mosquitoes that transmit the fever. Last week, Boluarte declared a state of emergency in most parts of the country.
Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by mosquito bites. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no specific treatment for the fever, and the vaccine against it is only recommended for people with a history of dengue infection. There are four serotypes of the virus, which means that one can be infected with four different types of dengue.
