The department of Córdoba faces a worrying epidemiological scenario due to the dengue outbreak that affects 14 of its municipalities, according to data provided by the Córdoba Health Secretariat.
According to the information provided, at epidemiological week 24, the municipalities of Ayapel, Cotorra, Lorica, Momil, Montería, Moñitos, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Libertador, Purísima, San Andrés de Sotavento, San Bernardo del Viento and Tierralta.
Dr. María Inés Buelvas, a leading doctor for epidemiological surveillance of the dengue program, expressed her concern about the situation: “Since epidemiological week 7, we have observed an increase in the expected cases for the historical data that we have always managed. This shows that the department is in an outbreak situation”.
Given this panorama, the Ministry of Health has intensified prevention and control work in educational institutions, given that the most affected population is concentrated in the age range of 5 to 14 years.
Meanwhile, the municipalities with a higher incidence than the departmental level in cases of dengue (119 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) are: Valencia, Tierralta, Montelíbano, Puerto Libertador, Los Córdobas, Puerto Escondido, Lorica, Cotorra, Purísima, Momil and San Andrés de Sotavento.
For his part, Dr. Carlos Usta Vellojín, a reference for vector-borne diseases, He called on the community to join the dengue control efforts from their homes.
“We need the community to get involved in actions such as frequently washing tanks, eliminating water reservoirs and collecting unusable items. “Only in this way can we control the reproduction of the transmitting mosquito,” he emphasized.
Health authorities reiterated the importance of going to medical centers in a timely manner in the presence of symptoms such as high fever that does not subside with the administration of acetaminophen. Early diagnostic confirmation is key to avoiding complications and potential fatal outcomes.
