Concern is generated among authorities by the low level of vaccination for respiratory viruses that the Coquimbo Region registers to date, being the second nationally with the lowest number of inoculations.
This was confirmed by the Minister of Health, Paola Salas, who explained that “indeed our region has figures that are not favorable, because in order to protect the population we have to have 85% vaccinated in the risk groups and today we have only 65% and there are even groups, such as those over 60 years of age, who are only 55% vaccinated. This puts us in the area of those in the red in the country, because there is only one region that is worse than us.”
Regarding deaths due to influenza in the area, the regional authority indicated that at week 21 the figures remain similar to those of last year in the same period. “The curves for 2024 that we have today for deaths do not exceed those for 2023, in this same week. The exact number is 8 people who have died in the region,” he said. Among the communes with the lowest coverage are Coquimbo, La Serena, Ovalle, Punitaqui and La Higuera, while vaccination in pregnant women reaches only 41.1%.
Given this background, the Ministry of Health emphasized the call to the population to attend the 70 vaccination centers available at the regional level. “What we have to do is become aware of this, because if the population is not vaccinated, we will undoubtedly never achieve herd coverage, which is protecting the rest who cannot be vaccinated.” In this sense, she emphasized that the risk of death increases in people with other pathologies and who have not been inoculated. “The person who has, for example, 2 or 3 pathologies, who is diabetic, hypertensive and also has kidney disease or cancer, undoubtedly has a much higher risk of dying if the virus is added to their immune component.” health. So my call is going to strengthen vaccination, especially for those who are most at risk, who are those over 60 years of age,” the authority stressed.
Alert for streptococcus outbreak. This week, the information was also known that the Ministry of Health issued an alert and general instructions to the health network, due to a possible increase in cases of invasive disease caused by group A streptococcus (GAS) or Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as “killer bacteria”. Between January and May of this year, 191 strains have been confirmed nationwide, concentrated mainly between the Metropolitan and Biobío regions, a figure that triples the cases registered in the same period last year, when they reached 66.
The alerts were also raised because last week the case of the death of a 12-year-old girl at the Eloísa Díaz Hospital in La Florida became known, as a result of influenza, a condition that was complicated by the presence of group streptococci. . TO.
What is this disease?
According to Raúl Quintanilla, epidemiologist at the Coquimbo Health Service, Streptococcus pyogenes is a known bacteria that causes some diseases both in the pharynx and in the skin. “Currently, a significant number of cases have been detected by the Institute of Public Health, which has exceeded those that had been detected in 2023 and that is why this health alert is being raised regarding this bacterial agent. It is mainly lodged in the pharynx, which is why in some milder cases it generates pharyngitis, tonsillitis and is mainly present in children under 10 years old up to 5 years old. On some occasions this bacterial agent also generates infection at the level of skin lesions,” he explains.
For his part, Dr. Cristian Rodríguez, epidemiologist at the Coquimbo Health Service, also highlights that Streptococcus is a bacteria that has always been present within the community. “You may know it as the scarlet fever that some people get or some other infections, almost always associated with respiratory symptoms, but it is not a recently appearing agent, but has always been installed among the common diseases that occur, especially in children under 10 years of age. In the current context, he adds, it has become relevant because there have been respiratory symptoms caused by the influenza virus. “This agent can enter a patient who is suffering from an infection or an influenza-type illness and cause more serious symptoms in users,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Ricardo Quezada, an emergency physician at the MEDS Clinic, explained that “it is a fairly universal bacteria. It is spread by contact and the most common manifestations are sore throat with fever, because it is associated with tonsillitis, and skin lesions, which can range from boils, to impetigo in younger children and to lesions that are a times deeper and that can affect the legs or the perineal, genital area. They are febrile lesions, with a lot of pain, with a lot of erythema: they turn red, sometimes black, white and that is why you have to be very careful.”
In relation to the increase in cases of influenza with the bacteria, the doctor was emphatic in stating that “the bacteria does not aggravate the cases. It adds up to a condition that causes influenza. We are here facing a perfect storm. The first thing that happens is that the pediatric population has a kind of immune debt, because the isolation of the pandemic caused them to have little exposure to the usual viruses, therefore, they are more prone to becoming infected with viruses than before. Through exposure, better defenses were developed.”
Transmission. According to Dr. Cristian Rodríguez, the main route of transmission is through droplets of saliva “that come out when you talk, sneeze or breathe, which remain suspended or can also fall on surfaces and you can swallow them, eat them or take to places that are exposed within the body.”
Symptoms
Raúl Quintanilla warns that it is important to detect the most serious symptoms, “which is fever, of 37.8° or higher, sore throat, or pain when swallowing, due to the condition that may occur in the pharynx area and skin lesions that can become red and complicated within a couple of days. “Those are alarm symptoms.” Now, he adds that, currently this alert has been raised because some cases have been confirmed in which, having an infection with the influenza virus, the symptoms of the people who are infected are susceptible to this loss of immunity, low defenses, “and therefore, the appearance or acquisition of this bacteria makes the conditions more complex and can result in greater severity and in some more specific cases, in death.”
Prevention and recommendations
For Dr. Quintanilla, the main prevention today, in the context of winter, is vaccination. “It is important not only for influenza, but to have the complete vaccination schedule up to date, especially for schoolchildren and preschoolers. There is no specific vaccine to prevent Streptococcus, but the rest of the immunizations reduce the severity of the condition if it occurs.” As basic preventive measures, he specifies, there is frequent hand washing, good ventilation of the houses, maintaining rest “and not going to the place of work or study, hopefully with prior medical attention so that spread or transmission is avoided.” . It is important to avoid self-medication, rather it is an antibiotic prescribed by the doctor and it is also important to use arm protection or a disposable tissue when coughing, in order to avoid the spread of droplets through skin contact, which is the other form of transmission.”
Dr. Cristian Rodríguez also remembers that it is important to follow the doctor’s instructions “who will give you rest and the application of some type of special medication to recover as soon as possible, avoid contact with other people who are also symptomatic and stay in your area.” home. If the symptoms persist or get worse, the idea is to consult a medical center promptly, pointing out that you have already been diagnosed with influenza, but after the time that you had been told, with the medication and following all the instructions, you have not recovered as well. what I expected,” he pointed out.
