In Cubará there has been an increase in cases in recent weeks.
Tunja, April 26, 2024 (UACP). Malaria or Malaria is a disease transferred by the Anopheles vector that transmits a parasite called Plasmodium.
In Colombia, two types are reported, mainly Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. It is transmitted in tropical areas, in places that are below 2,200 meters above sea level, that is, municipalities with a warm climate.
It is a disease that, if not treated in a timely and adequate manner, can be fatal.
The treatment is hospital-based and the medications are delivered directly by the Ministry of health and Social Protection, through the Boyacá Health Secretariat, therefore, it is not sold in any pharmacy, which is why it is important that people who present compatible symptoms and are in a risk area, go to the nearest health center to receive the corresponding treatment, make the timely diagnosis and provide specific treatment.
In Boyacá there has been an increase in cases in recent weeks. The outbreak is located in the municipality of Cubará, specifically in the U’wa indigenous population. However, there are also 11 municipalities in the department that share ecological conditions that are favorable for the presence of the vector and the transmission of the disease, but at this time they do not report cases.
“At this time, the Boyacá Health Secretariat is carrying out the corresponding control actions that include the activation of the Malaria Contingency Plan, through which information and education actions are carried out for the community, in the company of the Cubará Hospital.” , stated Manuel Medina Camargo, coordinator of the Vector-Borne Disease Control Program of the Boyacá Health Secretariat.
The official reported that an entomological study has already been carried out to determine what type of vector is causing the outbreak.
“Likewise, awnings have been delivered as a barrier for physical control, isolation of patients and the intervention is being carried out in the places where the disease has been recorded, which is the rural area of the municipality of Cubará, in the U’wa indigenous reservation. ”Medina commented.
The coordinator stated that it was important to highlight that, in Boyacá, no deaths from Malaria have been recorded for more than 12 years.
“According to the field study carried out, the outbreak may come from carriers of the parasite, because Cubará shares borders with Venezuela,” he said.
The symptoms
Fever, headache and muscle pain, general malaise, chills, nausea and vomiting.
It is recommended to avoid bites, especially during the hours of greatest insect activity, which are usually between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., and between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
In addition, eliminate mosquito breeding sites near homes, such as stagnant water in containers or puddles, wear long-sleeved clothing and long pants, and awnings or mosquito nets in transmission areas. (End /Andrea Páez Restrepo – UACP Health Secretariat Press).
Communications and Protocol Administrative Unit
Boyacá Governorate
