Those who fail to comply with guidelines set by the Ministry of Health to eliminate breeding sites for dengue could face fines between ¢ 38,000 and ¢ 40,000. Daisy Corrales, Minister of Health, said on Monday that she will send a proposal to the legislative assembly, which would amend the health code to specify fines for health code violations related to dengue risk.
Any container capable of holding water can become a breeding ground for dengue. The female mosquito transmits the virus, Aedes aegypti, and lays eggs in water. Social Security and health authorities invested around ¢14 billion ($28 million) to treat 49.868 patients for dengue in 2013.
Health authorities also warm of an ongoing outbreak of dengue in the province of Chiriqui in Panamá, near the border with Costa Rica.