Our country has been going through a historic outbreak of dengue and as indicated in the latest National Epidemiological Bulletin of the Ministry of Health of the Nation (epidemiological week 16), the season of this disease 2023-2024 has been notified. 396,484 cases, which represents 3.25 times more than what was recorded in the same period of the previous season. The majority of cases, almost 96%, occurred in the months of 2024.
In this context, data collected by Medifé through its Cam Doctor telemedicine systemso far this year they have attended 1,856 queries about dengue, which represents an increase of more than 1,130% compared to the same period last year. He 50% of queries has been registered in the age group of 30 to 44 yearsfollowed by the people of 45 to 59 years old who represented 18% of the consultations versus 14% the previous year.
Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by mosquito bites Aedes aegypti. When the mosquito bites an infected person and then others, it transmits the disease to them. It is not spread from person to person or through objects or breast milk.
Most people who get it —can affect any age— do not experience symptoms. When they occur, these are fever accompanied by severe headache (behind the eyes), muscle and joint pain, chills, nausea, and skin rashes. The symptomatic stage called “Febrile” usually lasts three to four days after which, in most cases, they stop having symptoms. “Here begins the critical stage of great importance in monitoring. This period between the fifth and seventh day is the one with the highest risk of having severe dengue, so correct monitoring is essential. “The symptoms that should be paid attention to are persistence of fever, abdominal pain, repeated vomiting and mucosal bleeding, since they are a warning that there may be progress to a critical condition of dengue,” explained Dr. Joaquín Ignacio Tartaglione, chief medical officer of Cam Doctor.
There are four serotypes of dengue viruses. When a person is reinfected with a different serotype, the risk of severe dengue fever, which can be fatal, increases.
Dengue occurs as an endemic outbreak during the summer-autumn. This seasonality makes it possible to implement informative actions for prevention in the previous months.in order to emphasize how the virus is transmitted, the symptoms of the disease and the care measures to prevent it.
“At Medifé we began addressing the dengue season in advance to anticipate a possible outbreak, based on last year’s experience, not only to focus on the localities where we registered the highest incidence, but also to reinforce our resource of “Cam Doctor telemedicine, in order to facilitate access to medical care for our associates and prevent them from going to a guard in cases where it is not necessary,” commented Dr. Flor María Ledesma, Health Innovation Manager at Medifé.
In this sense, Dr. Ledesma explained that they carried out training for doctors with dengue specialists on diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of the disease; also in relation to the vaccine that has been available in our country since last November. And they developed a comprehensive care guide based on the guidelines of the National Ministry of Health. “In addition, starting in December, we implemented a sustained awareness campaign aimed at associates through our communication channels, to focus on the symptoms that can alert the presence of dengue, the characteristics of the vector, prevention measures and promote consultations through Cam Doctor”.
Medifé’s telemedicine program has two modalities of care: synchronous teleconsultations and telemonitoring. By Cam Doctor are made more than 10,000 monthly services due to spontaneous demand and it is estimated that has reduced visits to guards by 50%. It is organized to solve the 80% of the most common health problemsand is complemented by scheduled clinics for more than 10 lines of care. “This year we increased the demand for this service, covering 12% of total monthly consultations. Regarding dengue, we registered an average of 60 consultations per day, with peaks of more than 120 per day in March and April”concluded Dr. Joaquín Ignacio Tartaglione, chief medical officer of Cam Doctor.
Both specialists emphasized that At the first symptoms that may alert you to the presence of dengue, it is important to consult a doctor and avoid self-medication. and do not take aspirin or ibuprofen because they increase the risk of bleeding.
How to prevent dengue
Dengue prevention is based on vector control and therefore It is key to eliminate mosquito breeding sites (such as objects where water can accumulate). For this it is recommended:
- Discard all unused containers such as cans, bottles or tires, as they can accumulate water.
- Turn over outdoor objects (such as buckets and basins) where water can collect when it rains.
- Cover tanks and containers used to collect water.
- Change the water in animal drinkers, air conditioning or rain drain collectors every day. Rub the walls of the containers with a sponge to remove any mosquito eggs that may be attached.
- Fill pot holders and vases with wet sand.
- Keep yards clean and weeded.
- Pour boiling water into grates and drains.
As for the personal care to avoid mosquito bites and contagion:
- Use body repellents when outdoors (follow the recommendations on the packaging) and environmental repellents such as coils and tablets at home.
- Wear light clothing that covers your arms and legs.
- Place mosquito nets on doors and windows and mosquito nets on cribs or strollers.
