Over 488,000 dengue cases reported in Argentina in first 5 months

 Dengue is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. [iStockphoto]

Argentina has detected over 488,000 cases of dengue during the first five months this year, 3.35 times that of last year, the health ministry said Sunday.

In the first 20 weeks of the year, 488,035 cases of dengue were registered, according to the ministry's National Epidemiological Bulletin.

The largest number of the cases were reported in the central region, followed by the northwestern and northeastern regions.

Dengue is detected in 19 of the 24 districts of the country and has caused a total of 343 deaths this season.

The most frequent symptoms of the disease were fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.