The deterioration of sanitary conditions has favored the spread of viruses.
MIAMI.- A 16-year-old teenager died in Santiago de Cuba in a context of growing health alarm due to the expansion of viruses transmitted by mosquitoes throughout the country.
Roxana Matos Rabelo He died after experiencing intense respiratory distress that ended in respiratory arrest, as confirmed to the independent journalist. Yosmani Mayetto a close family member. “He had a severe lack of air that caused him to go into respiratory arrest,” he said, adding that it was the result of a virus associated with the mosquito.
In numerous cases, patients present symptoms compatible with different arboviruses, but the lack of reagents in hospitals and polyclinics prevents an accurate diagnosis. This situation has fueled citizen concern and has caused a wave of complaints on social networks.
After weeks of official silence, the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) finally recognized the simultaneous circulation of several viruses in at least 12 provinces. Vice Minister Carilda García Peña reported that the rate of suspected dengue cases reached 24.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, which represents around 2,360 possible patients in a country with 9.7 million inhabitants. He also admitted that the hemorrhagic variant of dengue predominates and that only in the last week more than 13,000 febrile cases were detected.
The outbreak, which began in July in the municipality of Perico, Matanzas, has spread rapidly. Doctors consulted by CubaNet also warn about a possible new strain of chikungunya, whose symptoms would be more intense and prolonged than in previous episodes.
The deterioration of sanitary conditions has favored the spread of viruses. The combination of rain, overflowing pits, accumulation of garbage and lack of fumigation has created an ideal environment for Aedes aegypti, the mosquito vector of dengue and chikungunya. Home fumigation has not been carried out for years and the trucks that used to travel the streets at dawn and dusk no longer appear.
According to the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH), 72% of the population lives near garbage dumps or overflowing septic tanks. The shortage of drinking water, irregular waste collection and the absence of vector control measures have aggravated the epidemiological scenario.
Meanwhile, the authorities have insisted that the solution lies in individual responsibility. They have asked neighbors to clean their blocks at their own expense, burn citrus peels to scare away mosquitoes, and purchase repellents sold in foreign currency, inaccessible to the majority.
