The Ministry of Public Health maintains without identifying the new virus that affects the population of Santiago de Cuba.
The first cases have been studied and the samples are being analyzed in the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine since the beginning of this week, but still the government does not reveal what disease it is.
Between the symptoms There is high fever, headache, pain in the eyes or back, and in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea, symptoms that resemble those of dengue. The disease appears to be transmitted in a similar way to the common flu.
In appearance before Provincial Television, the Dr. Luis E. Rondónhead of pediatrics in Santiago de Cuba, asked parents not to leave children with symptoms at home and to seek medical assistance, especially in the case of babies under one year old.
He noted that some cases so far have required hospitalization following medical protocols, but no loss of life has been reported.
The Dr. Tania Carbonell, vice director of Health at the Saturnino Lora Hospital in Santiago, stressed that no serious cases have been recorded. However, she warns of warning signs in this disease that include persistent fever, severe pain, bleeding, vomiting and changes in mental status.
All of these symptoms can also be related to dengue and confuse the diagnosis. The doctor also warned about the importance of do not use aspirin nor anti-inflammatory medications, because they could promote bleeding processes.
He Dr. Luis E. Rosabal, deputy director of Epidemiology in Santiago de Cuba, indicated that the origin of the outbreak occurred in the municipalities of Santiago and Songo La Maya. An increase in dengue-negative febrile cases was detected there.
Although the disease is viral and so far is considered benign, it is recommended to maintain strict surveillance and take extreme hygiene and vector control measures to cut transmission.
He Dr. Raúl Leyvahead of the Provincial ProSalud Department, highlighted the importance of boiling water and using sodium hypochlorite to prevent infections, since it is not yet known exactly which virus is responsible for the outbreak.
He insisted that patients should not stay at home and should seek medical attentionin addition to staying informed through the media about the evolution of the situation.
Lastly, although the symptoms can be confused with those of denguehealth authorities insist that this is a different virus that is being studied, and the usual protocols must be followed to viral diseases in Cuba.
