▁the ▁mos qu ito - trans m itted ▁ar b ov irus . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁February , ▁the ▁Pan ▁American ▁Health ▁Organ ization ▁reported ▁that ▁eight y ▁( 8 0 ) ▁cases ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁severe ▁den gue ▁hem or rh ag ic ▁fe ver ▁had ▁occurred ▁in ▁Boliv ia ▁since ▁January , ▁of ▁which ▁ 2 2 % ▁were ▁fatal . ▁Boliv ia ▁requested ▁outside ▁assistance ▁and ▁foreign ▁aid . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Boliv ia ▁first ▁declared ▁a ▁national ▁emer gency ▁in ▁early ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁when ▁it ▁alert ed ▁the ▁world ▁about ▁the ▁country ' s ▁worst ▁out break ▁of ▁den gue ▁fe ver ▁in ▁twenty - two ▁years . ▁By ▁ 3 ▁February , ▁five ▁people ▁had ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁over ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁more ▁were ▁inf ected . ▁Wor st ▁hit ▁is ▁the ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Department , ▁near ▁the ▁Par agu ay an ▁border ▁and ▁the ▁Amazon . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁military ▁facilities , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Santa ▁Cruz , ▁were ▁turned ▁into ▁temporary ▁hosp it als ▁as ▁the ▁real ▁hosp it als ▁strugg led ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁the ▁conditions . ▁Th ous ands ▁of ▁soldiers ▁were ▁mobil ized ▁to ▁assist ▁medical ▁workers . ▁The ▁government ▁then ▁allocated ▁funds ▁to ▁supply ▁hosp it als ▁across ▁the ▁country ; ▁however , ▁it ▁was ▁critic ised ▁in ▁some ▁qu arters ▁for ▁the ▁slow ness ▁of ▁its ▁actions . ▁The ▁in fection ▁was ▁most