The health authorities in Santiago de Cuba warned about the incidence of dengue in its most serious forms, while the population fights the Oropouche Virus only with natural remedies.
Alfredo Cintra Guerra, responsible for Surveillance and Anti-Vector Fight, in Santiago de Cuba warned about a “high infestation of the dengue transmitting agent” and therefore cases, in the city of Santiago de Cuba, in Palma Soriano, Contramaestre, Mella and San Luis.
“To give you an idea of the seriousness of the matter, it is enough to add that the circulation of two serotypes of the dengue virus has been proven; hence the high probability of severe forms of the disease occurring,” he explained to the provincial newspaper Sierra Maestra.
“Let us remember that severe dengue can kill and that children, pregnant women, chronically ill and older adults are the people most in danger,” added the expert.
On the other hand, the spread of the Oropouche Virus is increasingly worrying the Cuban population, according to what Father Leandro León Nun, parish priest of the San José Obrero Church, in Santiago de Cuba, told Martí Noticias.
“Currently, with the people that I can see, who are in my parish and who have been affected by the virus in the San Juan area, for example, in the Seville area, people are now suffering from it. Generally, It is affecting a number of people and, when you think that people have freed themselves from the virus, they repeat it and they become weaker with this situation. Now my mother is on the third time, she gets very bad “lamented Father Nun.
Given the shortage of medicines, herbal remedies have become increasingly important and seem to be working, according to the priest.
“People say: ‘Oh, I caught the virus’, or ‘so-and-so has the virus’ and now everyone is looking for the cherry bush to boost their defenses, the other herbs, the cow’s tongue for fever and so on. What are people saying? They are taking it because people are afraid of taking Ibuprofen because, since the dengue pandemic, people are afraid of Ibuprofen and Paracetamol, not everyone can buy that on the black market to take, so people have You have to resort to herbs to relieve pain, to relieve fever and so on. This is like a Taíno village, and with the blackouts, imagine“lamented the priest.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) explains that Oropouche Fever is caused by a virus transmitted by vectors of the genus Culicidae (mosquitoes) and Culicoides (gnats).
The disease produces a condition similar to dengue. It has an incubation period of 4 to 8 days (range between 3 and 12 days). The onset is sudden, generally with fever, headache, arthralgia, myalgia, chills, and sometimes persistent nausea and vomiting for up to 5 to 7 days. Aseptic meningitis may occasionally occur.. Most cases recover within 7 days, however, in some patients, convalescence can take weeks, explains PAHO.
Reports indicate that the virus initially detected in Santiago de Cuba has been moving to Cienfuegos, Mayabeque and some towns in Villa Clara. Also to the Cuban capital as reported by journalist Yoani Sánchez.
“Now I must tell you that the virus is already in Havana, the Public Health officials have not said anything, but the newspaper 14ymedio collects several testimonies from people and even buildings where there are several infected people, especially in the Lawton neighborhood and also in areas of Central Havana,” he stated.
“This is terrible news because Havana is the perfect setting for the spread of a virus of this type,” the journalist warned.
The Oropouche virus was detected in Cuba at the end of May “through monitoring and surveillance actions for non-specific febrile syndromes, based on samples studied in the national reference laboratory of the Pedro Kourí Institute (IPK),” the official press reported in its moment.
According to the Cuban Ministry of Public Health “there is no specific treatment, only general measures to alleviate the symptoms.”
PAHO indicates that laboratory diagnosis is essential for confirming cases, characterizing an outbreak, and monitoring the trend of the disease.
It also recommends the protection of homes with fine mesh mosquito nets on doors and windows, the use of clothing that covers the legs and arms, especially in homes where someone is sick, the use of repellents and the use of mosquito nets impregnated or not with insecticides. for those who sleep during the day such as pregnant women, babies, sick or bedridden people and the elderly.
In outbreak situations, outdoor activities should be avoided during the period of greatest mosquito activity (dawn and dusk).
[Con reporte radial de José Luis Ramos]
