President Fidel Castro has declared victory in his government's campaign against dengue fever during a ceremony in Havana.
"The dengue virus has been eradicated in our homeland," Castro said early this morning (Irish time) after handing out diplomas to representatives of groups recruited for the campaign. "Today is a day of satisfaction for all residents of the capital and the entire country".
During a speech shown live on national television, Castro referred to the vector that carries the dengue virus as "that killer mosquito".
Cuba had earlier reported two deaths among the dengue cases in Havana in recent months. Castro on Wednesday confirmed that was the final fatal toll.
On January 12th the Cuban leader launched a highly organised and widespread education and fumigation campaign aimed at wiping out the mosquito that causes the virus, which is marked by high fever and aches. Some strains of dengue can result in death.
During Cuba's campaign, homes and other buildings especially in the hard-hit capital of Havana were repeatedly sprayed over more than three months, sometimes several times a week. Cuba's newspapers printed educational articles about cleanup efforts, alongside a logo of a mosquito in a circle with an "X" through it.
As the virus was seen here as a matter of national security, cooperation in the campaign was obligatory. Residents who refused to let their homes be fumigated were sometimes fined.
Cuba suffered a serious dengue epidemic in 1971 that made more than 400,000 people sick. In another dengue epidemic 10 years later, Cuba reported 350,000 cases.