At least 40 people died in an ongoing outbreak of dengue fever, the health authorities of the Dominican Republic said Wednesday.

Nearly 430 new cases of the mosquito-borne disease have been reported each week in recent months as the number of those affected has topped 7,364, health officials said in a statement.

The outbreak of such epidemic diseases as dengue fever has been due to the multiple tropical storms and hurricanes that struck the country this year.

The health department said it is clearing mosquito breeding grounds among its efforts to combat the disease.

Dengue is a viral infection that can cause a range of symptoms, from mild flu-like illness to more serious illnesses including rashes and bone pain and even death.