Nearly 700 killed by dengue in Brazil - official

Rio de Janeiro - Health officials in Brazil said on Tuesday a record 693 people have died so far this year after contracting dengue fever, the deadly mosquito-borne disease running rampant across Central and South America.

Most of the deaths occurred in Sao Paulo state, according to a statement from the federal health ministry, which said the deaths were the most since 1990, when officials began compiling records tracking the number of people infected with the ailment.

The actual number of fatalities is presumably higher, since the official figure reflects deaths in Brazil from dengue from the beginning of the year just through the end of August.