In the midst of a complicated and risky health panorama due to advance of the Oropouche in Cubathe announcement that In the province of Guantánamo, more than 150 febrile cases are reported per week alerts about the possible presence of the virus in that territory.
Although the health authorities of that eastern province They have not confirmed that there are cases of the diseasein a recent meeting there was an alert about the increase in people suffering from “febrile syndrome”, according to a report in the official newspaper overcome.
The doctor Nael Preval Campelloprovincial director of Health, stressed that, in addition to high fever, the disease causes discomfort in light, fatigue and muscle pain, and recommended to the population that, if they present these symptoms, they should go to the polyclinic to “get checked and rule out any danger.”
In a meeting between government authorities and citizens, called “Open Dialogue with the People,” Preval insisted that “to confront the disease, adequate environmental sanitation must be carried out in each neighborhood” and that “community participation is vital to combat the disease.” mosquito”.
He Culex quinquefasciatusone of the two vectors that transmits the disease, proliferates on river banks, wells and places with ditches, he recalled.
The Public Health director did not confirm the presence of the virus in the province, however, he warned about the need to “achieve attention and early detection of affected patients to prevent the progression of the disease and reduce risks.”
Due to the proximity to the province of Santiago de Cuba, since the end of May in Guantánamo the health authorities intensified the epidemiological surveillance and guide families about the symptoms of this virus, according to information from the station Guantanamo Radio.
The eve, The first cases of the Oropouche virus were reported in the province of Villa Clara, the fourth where it has been officially confirmed since the presence of the arbovirus was alerted in Santiago de Cuba. It has also spread to municipalities of Hundred fires and Mayabeque.
According to Juan José Pulido López, Health Director of Villa Clara, The cases were diagnosed in the town of San Juan de los Yeras, in the Ranchuelo municipalitybased on tests carried out by the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK), in Havana.
Meanwhile, In Sancti Spíritus, more than 500 febrile cases have been reported in the last seven days and, despite this, the authorities assured that the Oropouche virus does not exist there.
Although the government insists that there have been no victims, last week A 22-year-old student who was admitted with Oropouche symptoms died in Santiago de Cuba. The young man lived in the II Frente municipality and was studying his fourth year of a Bachelor’s Degree in Pedagogy (specialty in Geography) at the Universidad de Oriente.
Until now, The Ministry of Public Health continues without revealing the number of people diagnosed with the disease in the country.
Since it was discovered in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955, this is the first time the Oropouche virus manifests itself in Cuba.
It is transmitted by midges Culicoides paraensis -which has not been detected in Cuba, but is present in the region of the Americas- and by the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatuswhich is very common on the island and lives in any type of water, including sewage and contaminated water.
This exacerbates the danger of spread in the country, due to the lack of hygiene in residential areas due to the accumulation of garbage, vacant land where grass grows uncontrolled, leaks and contamination of drinking water.
