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BRASILIA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazil witnessed a record deaths of 693 people due to dengue fever in the first eight months this year, the highest annual number since the disease began to be monitored in 1990, the Health Ministry announced on Tuesday.
"This represents a 70-percent increase in comparison to the same period last year when 407 deaths were confirmed," the ministry said in a press release.
The previous record was 674 deaths registered in 2013, according to the ministry.
The southeastern part of the country, mainly in the state of Sao Paulo, witnessed 68.5 percent of the deaths so far this year.
The ministry said it will continue to try to control the fever, a tropical viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, with preventative measures throughout the year.
