MEXICO CITY, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Paraguayan Health Ministry confirmed on Monday that the country had witnessed a sharp increase in dengue fever cases in January, according to reports reaching here from Asuncion, capital of Paraguay.

    An official from the Health Ministry told reporters that more than 140 dengue fever cases had been found in Asuncion and its surrounding area in the first two weeks of the year.

    The ministry also predicted that more than 400,000 people might be affected this year.

    In the face of this serious situation, the government of Asuncion has brought in a series of precautionary measures to fight dengue, such as stamping out mosquitoes and cleaning water to avoid the spread of the disease.

    Dengue fever, a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes, mostly hits tropical and sub-tropical regions. Its symptoms include high fever, nausea, rashes, backache and headaches. The hemorrhagic variant, which causes severe internal bleeding as blood vessels collapse, is often fatal.