• Health authorities report the majority of cases in the department of Amazonas.
• Vector prevention and control recommendations are issued as measures to prevent spread.
Barranquilla, Atlántico, June 6, 2024. The Atlantic Health Secretariat gave a statement of tranquility to the department, since at the moment there is no scientific evidence of the presence of the Oropouche virus in the territory.
The Secretary of Health of Atlántico, Luís Carlos Fajardo Jordán, explained that the Department’s Epidemiological Surveillance System (SIVIGILA) has analyzed serological samples, confirmed by the National Institute of Health INS, but in none of them has the presence of this virus been detected, the which is transmitted by the Culicoides Paraensis mosquito, however surveillance remains on alert for any possible case.
The secretary pointed out that in Colombia the INS has verified 57 cases, of which 55 occurred in the department of Amazonas, but none in the Atlantic.
The above confirms what was published in a study from February 2024, by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO), in which it indicates that the Oropouche virus outbreaks recorded in the last ten years have taken place mainly in the Amazon region.
That same report indicates that Oropouche fever is an emerging disease in the Amazon region, which has affected several Latin American countries, which is transmitted by the bite of the Culicoides paraensis mosquito and produces a condition similar to dengue.
The virus has an incubation period of 4 to 8 days, the onset is sudden, it generally presents symptoms such as fever, headache, bone and/or joint pain, chills, and sometimes nausea accompanied by persistent vomiting for up to 5 days. to 7 days, as well as occasionally aseptic meningitis may occur.
However, most cases recover within seven days and in some patients convalescence may take weeks.
It should be noted that in the country, a study published at the end of 2022, carried out by the National University of Colombia, reported 87 cases that occurred between 2019 and 2021, in four cities of the country: Cúcuta (3 cases), Cali (3 cases ), Leticia (43 cases) and Villavicencio (38 cases), which were identified through retrospective laboratory analysis of samples from cases of acute febrile illness. The cases were confirmed by the laboratory at its headquarters in Medellín and its results were corroborated by the National Reference Laboratory of the National Institute of Health in 2023.
Now, the Secretary of Health alerted the population to be attentive if they present symptoms such as those mentioned so that they approach medical services, since it could be dengue.
PREVENTION AND VECTOR CONTROL
However, vector prevention and control must be measures to prevent the spread of the virus, by identifying and eliminating the development and resting places of the vectors, by avoiding the accumulation of waste that serves as reproduction and resting sites. from the mosquito; Likewise, monitor the filling or drainage of water, ponds or temporary flooding sites that can serve as oviposition sites for females and breeding grounds for mosquito larvae; also eliminate weeds around the houses.
Additionally, the Ministry of Health recommends taking measures to prevent mosquito bites, through the protection of homes with hooks or fine mesh mosquito nets on doors and windows; use of clothing that covers legs and arms, as well as repellents, which can be applied to exposed skin or clothing, and their use must be in strict accordance with the instructions on the product label.
Likewise, use mosquito nets or awnings, avoid outdoor activities during the period of greatest mosquito activity, that is, at dawn and dusk; In addition, in the case of people at greater risk of being stung, such as field workers, the use of clothing that covers exposed parts of the body is recommended.
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