The Ministry of Public Health warned about chikungunya warning signs that indicate the need for medical attention.
Given the expansion of the chikungunya virus in national territory and in order to reduce the chances of complications and deaths, citizens are asked to be attentive to the warning signs that indicate the need for urgent medical attention.
Bleeding, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and drowsiness. If you have any of these symptoms, go to the nearest health service, it is probably chikungunya.
bleeding: It can appear in the nose, gums, urine or feces.
Abdominal paincan be accompanied by nausea and vomiting and even lead to loss of appetite. “This is a sign of a bad prognosis,” warns Dr. Guillermo Sequera, general director of Health Surveillance.
He pointed out that children affected with chikungunya may report persistent crying and loss of appetite; while older adults can observe drowsiness or extreme weakness. “They sleep a lot and stop eating and hydrating,” she explained.
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In the event of any of these alarm signs, the doctor urges not to waste time, go immediately to the nearest health service and avoid self-medication.
30% of chikungunya cases can be asymptomatic and rarely develop severe symptoms.
The application of protection and prevention measures is key
The elimination of hatcheries remains the main strategy to prevent Aedes aegypti reproduce.
Discard all obsolete objects that accumulates water (caps, bottles, containers). Those useless objects that cannot be discarded, such as household appliances, tires or others, must be placed indoors or covered in order to prevent them from accumulating water.
Chlorinate the pools to prevent the reproduction of mosquitoes, taking into account that any container with water can become a breeding ground for dengue, chikungunya and other arboviral diseases.
Keep tanks, drums, buckets and any container that contains water to be used.
Change the water in the vases daily, previous hygiene with a brush, water and soap, and cleaning of roots and stem. It is equally important to dispose of the water accumulated in pot/planter dishes.
Change the water in the animal drinker every day, after hygiene (with a brush, water and soap), in order to eliminate possible eggs that have stuck to the walls of the container.
Take care that garbage does not accumulate inside the registers so that the water is drained.
Use of protection barriers. To avoid mosquito bites, it is recommended to use a mosquito net to sleep and repellent in outdoor activities.
