The fifth national epidemic dengue that affects Argentina caused the death of 280 people. Never before since the re-emergence of the virus that causes the infection have so many been recorded confirmed cases Not so many deaths in one season.
According to the latest epidemiological bulletin of the Ministry of Health of the Nationhe maximum peak of the epidemic was recorded during the week of last March 17, with 55,476 cases reported.
Since then, slowly, the cases are declining in 16 of 19 jurisdictions of the country that were affected by the epidemic. Instead, there are 3 jurisdictions that still have an increase in dengue casesthe infection transmitted by the bites of female mosquitoes Aedes aegypti.
The epidemiologists of the Health portfolio have reported that the accumulated cases of people with dengue between the last week of July of last year and the week of April 14 represent 3.25 times more than what was registered in the same period of the previous season (2022/2023). The cases of this epidemic are also 9.24 times more than what was recorded in the same period of 2019/2020.
After the peak of infections nationwide, in the following weeks differences were recorded that would mark the beginning of a decline in the epidemic. It was found that the following two weeks there were differences of 8% and 6% fewer weekly cases.
The Northeast region It is made up of the provinces of Misiones, Formosa, Corrientes and Chaco, in the surveillance system of the Ministry of Health. There were more than 60,883 cases of dengue and 48 deaths this season.
That region of the country was the one that reported dengue cases even in winter for the first time last year. That is, there was a persistent circulation of the virus in the territory. In the fourth week of January there was a peak in cases in the Northeast. Since then Chaco, Misiones and Formosa presented a sustained downward trend.
But in Currents A plateau is observed since the first week of February, with a slight increase in the last two weeks compared to the previous ones.
In the Central region, which covers the City of Buenos Aires, province of Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe and Córdoba, There is a general trend towards decline of the number of cases. Almost all of these provinces have the same pattern.
In this region, 243,968 were registered from the end of last July to April of this year. cases and 171 deaths. The peak of cases occurred in the third week of March, and then there was a decline. “This pattern is similar to that of the provinces of Buenos Aires and Entre Ríos, while in CABA there are two weeks with a lower number of cases than the peak, Córdoba one and Santa Fe presents a pattern of high plateauing,” it was reported in the bulletin.
“In the City of Buenos Aires, dengue cases are decreasing. But there are still people who acquire the infection. Therefore, it is recommended to continue alerting compatible symptoms and taking actions so that they do not occur. hatcheries of mosquitoes in homes,” he stated in dialogue with Infobae Gabriel Battistella, Undersecretary of Primary Care of the Buenos Aires Ministry of Health.
In the Northwest region (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, La Rioja, Catamarca), there was a peak in cases in the week of March 17. In the following three weeks, a high number of cases between 10,300 and 11,700 continued to be recorded.
Catamarca, La Rioja, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán have been at least three weeks below the peak. On the other hand, Salta presented oscillations in the notification of the three weeks following the peak. Jujuy registered an upward trend.
“In Jujuy, last week we exceeded 10,000 weekly cases. You have to take into account the weather conditions from a couple of weeks ago or more. How long does it take for a mosquito to become infectious, for the disease to incubate and for people to attend and for the epidemiological report to be prepared. “We are waiting to see what happened with the drop in temperature,” he told Infobae the doctor in Biology and specialist Mario Linaresof the High Altitude Biology Institute of the National University of Jujuy.
The Cuyo Region recorded a peak in cases in the first week of April. In San Luis and Mendoza, cases were reduced by one week from that peak. However, San Juan registers an upward trend. This means, Corrientes, Jujuy and San Juan were still the three provinces with increases in cases until the third week of April.
Within the Southern Region, The Pampa It is the only province with confirmed dengue viral circulation. It had a peak in the first week of April and then a reduction in the number of people affected.
In summary, the three provinces that show a tendency to increase in dengue cases are:
Days ago, the Conicet researcher Maria Sol De Majo and member of the Mosquito Study Group of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) recommended these actions to prevent dengue in autumn and winter:
- Clean the walls of containers that may accumulate water with a brush
- Throw boiling water in hard-to-reach places (such as patio grates and balconies)
- Throw away unused containers
To prevent water from accumulating in the containers, it is recommended:
- Keep unused containers upside down
- Trying to puncture the tires or throw them away
- Unclog gutters to prevent water from accumulating
