The CEO of the Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Pediatric HospitalClemente Terrero, declared this Thursday that the virus chikungunya it does not recur, because it develops a type of permanent immunity that protects affected people against any new outbreak of this viral disease.
During an interview on the Despierta program with CDN, which is broadcast Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, on channel 37, the doctor was emphatic in pointing out that scientific research to date suggests that the virus leaves permanent immunity, which is why patients would not be affected by this disease again.
“That is to say, to the one who gave it, it may not give it again. It’s a single type of virus and it doesn’t come back. That is what has been raised so far, ”he added. However, he indicated that in the Dominican Republic 200,000 children are born every year, which is why a possible outbreak within ten years, according to him, could impact 2 million children.
There is a susceptible population present
“So, there is a susceptible population present and if it joins those who did not have the disease in the past outbreak, then the vulnerable population is important,” he warned.
In this sense, he considered that the Ministry of Public Health could be anticipating that if the virus penetrates the Dominican Republic, an outbreak of this disease could occur in the country, which is why he understands that the early epidemiological warning was prudent.
He also stated that taking into account that there is only one chikungunya virus, it was thought that the disease would not impact these countries again for a long time, but that was not the case.
“The virus was actually discovered in 1952 and the first time it was present in the American Continent was in 2013. One thought that the virus had disappeared; However, this has not been the case, the virus remains present, having great activity with 137,000 cases in 2021 and 271,000 in 2022, an increase of 90%, ”he commented.
Pointing out that this is precisely the great risk that the virus presents to the Dominican Republic, he explained that the most common symptoms are very similar to those of dengue, such as fever, vomiting and headache.
Difference with Dengue
He maintained that the chikungunya se difference from dengue due to the presence of joint pain and inflammation. Manifestation of joint pain: discomfort when moving the fingers of the hands or the wrist, pain when flexing the elbow or knees.
In this regard, he pointed out that the most characteristic of this disease is what occurs at the joint level, such as intense pain in the joint, edema and joint inflammation. “This is one of the most important characteristics that differentiates it from dengue, which does not present this inflammation, although it also presents joint pain, but not inflammation like chikungunya,” he explained.
Cholera
Dr. Clemente Terrero also referred to the cases of cholera that is currently affecting the Dominican Republic, noting that unlike the first outbreak that affected the country, through Haiti due to the proximity of both nations, in this occasion the disease is known and the preventive measures that must be adopted to mitigate the damage.
“In the country we have different conditions, we know the disease, we know the preventive measures and some measures are being taken that were not taken in the previous outbreak, and that is that the population is being vaccinated and that helps a lot. The basic preventive measures are hygiene, hand washing, preparing well-cooked food and that it is in adequate conditions, as well as the water that must be ingested, ”he explained.
The official suggested that an education plan be implemented in the public and private educational centers of the Dominican Republic, so that people have mastery of the basic issues that have to do with life, in order to avoid being affected by diseases as those indicated above.
At the Robert Reid Cabral there is no cholera, chikungunya or diphtheria
Despite the fact that last year the Dominican Republic was affected by different endemic diseases, such as Covid-19, malaria, diphtheria, cholera, dengue, among others, currently the Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Pediatric Hospital has no cases of these ills , with the exception of several people admitted with dengue.
This was reported this Thursday by Dr. Clemente Terrero, general director of that health center, during an interview on the Despierta program with CDN, which is broadcast Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, on the channel 37, in which he also spoke of the risks that chikungunya represents for children, given the increase in cases and deaths from this virus in South American countries.
“This disease in the Americas has a significant reactivation, around 30 countries are being affected by this virus so far,” he said, while qualifying as timely the epidemiological alert that the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance issued due to the increase of this viral disease transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
