news desk Laugh
The country’s Ministry of Health reports that as of Epidemic Week 7 of 2023 (February 12-18), 673 positive cases of dengue have been reported in the country, of which 587 have no travel history. Currently, the spread of this virus has been identified in 6 jurisdictions: Santa Fe (in 7 locations), Salta (in 3 locations), Tucuman (in 2 locations), Jujuy, Córdoba and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA). . Regarding chikungunya virus, 3 cases with no travel history yet were recorded in 2 towns in Buenos Aires province, and another 132 cases were imported or under investigation in 7 other jurisdictions.
Regarding dengue, 327 cases have been confirmed in the past three weeks, with an average of 109 cases per week. This is 20 percent of the average recorded during the same weeks in 2020, the year of the pandemic.
Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of the Aedes mosquito, especially the Aedes aegypti. When a mosquito feeds on the blood of a person infected with the dengue virus, it replicates in the mosquito and after 8 to 12 days becomes infectious, transmitting the virus through its bite to other people. Symptoms usually begin 5-7 days after infection (but can be anywhere from 3-14 days). The most common symptoms are fever (usually lasting 3 to 5 days), severe headache, muscle and joint pain, pain behind the eyes, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and skin rash.
Chikungunya fever is a viral disease that is also transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. Symptoms usually begin 3 to 7 days after a mosquito bite. The most common symptom is a sudden onset of fever over 38 degrees, often accompanied by joint pain. Other symptoms that may appear are: muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. Severe joint pain usually lasts a few days, but can persist for several months, affecting full recovery and return to daily activities.
The Health Portfolio reminds us of the importance of always consulting the health service in the presence of symptoms and not self-medication.
Prevention measures for dengue and chikungunya
The main form of transmission of these diseases is the bites of infected mosquitoes, but they can also be transmitted by transfusion of blood or blood derivatives. Although rare, pregnant women can transmit the infection to the fetus.
Those people who have already had dengue fever before, in the presence of symptoms, it is recommended to have an early consultation and report that they have the disease so that the medical teams can identify the possibility of severe dengue and provide the necessary care.
The most important measure to prevent dengue and chikungunya is to eliminate all mosquito breeding sites, ie all containers containing water in and around homes.
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If containers cannot be disposed of due to frequent use, mosquitoes should be prevented from getting inside them (covering tanks, cisterns and/or cisterns) or preventing them from accumulating water, tipping (buckets, tubs, drums), emptying and frequent brushing ( pot holders, drinking fountains), or put under caps (return bottles).
Fumigation is only indicated in an outbreak and works to kill adult mosquitoes that transmit the disease, but is not sufficient to control the disease if new mosquito breeding sites are not controlled.
