Latest National Epidemiological Bulletin detected local circulation of dengue in 14 provinces, while in Córdoba the virus is already spreading through different towns in the interior and through numerous neighborhoods of the Capital. The cases this season continue to rise.
The national Minister of Health, Carla Vizzotti, affirmed this Tuesday that the 2020 dengue outbreak is equaling the number of cases, but warned that there are still weeks of rise. In this sense, she recalled the importance of eliminating any container that stores water and cleaning pet drinking fountains to prevent mosquito larvae from forming. Temples of the Egyptiansthe vector of the disease.
Dengue: the Ministry of Health warned that there are still weeks of rise
”Every year we have cases of dengue at this time, but every three or four years there are outbreaks with very high numbers. What we have been seeing is that each outbreak is greater than the previous one; now we are equaling that of 2020 but we still have a few weeks of increases in cases,” Vizzotti said in statements made this morning to Radio 10.
The minister remarked that “municipalities have a very important role, and especially what is done inside homes because the hard work is in the prevention of larvae, which is where mosquitoes are born, through the famous debris that It consists of not leaving containers where water accumulates, cleaning where pets drink water, changing the water in vases”.
How to prevent mosquito bites
The head of the health portfolio also said that it is important to prevent mosquito bites. Regarding fumigation, she pointed out that it has a role, but it is not the most important, because when we spray we kill the adult mosquito but not the larvae, that is, spraying is only part of the strategy.
More than 28 thousand cases throughout the country
According to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, as of April 1, 28,235 cases of dengue had been reported and viral circulation was registered in 14 jurisdictions of the country corresponding to three regions: Central Region (Buenos Aires; Autonomous City of Buenos Aires; Córdoba; Between Rivers; Santa Fe); NEA region (Corrientes; Formosa; Chaco) and NOA region (Catamarca; Jujuy; La Rioja; Salta; Santiago del Estero and Tucumán).
That number of cases implied an increase of 27.7% compared to the previous week.
Chikungunya fever is also circulating in Argentina
It is transmitted by the same mosquito and, until April 1, 915 cases were registered, of which 348 acquired the infection in the country; 306 are under investigation and 261 acquired the disease abroad; At the moment, the circulation of this virus has been confirmed in 7 jurisdictions: Buenos Aires; CABA; Chaco; Cordova; currents; Formosa and Santa Fe.
Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of the mosquito of the genus Aedesprincipally for Temples of the Egyptians; When the mosquito feeds on the blood of a person infected with the dengue virus, it acquires it and after 8 to 12 days it is capable of transmitting it to a healthy person through its bite.
Chikungunya fever is also a viral disease that, like the other, is transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes.
With regard to dengue, the symptoms are fever accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: pain behind the eyes; upside down; muscle and joints; nausea and vomiting; intense tiredness; appearance of spots on the skin and itching; bleeding nose and gums.
When diagnosed with dengue, it is necessary to follow the instructions of health personnel and attend follow-up and control consultations. If at the time the fever subsides or in the days that follow, any of the symptoms worsen, reappear, or new symptoms are detected (difficulty breathing, intense abdominal pain, profuse mucosal bleeding, irritability to drowsiness, recurrent vomiting), it is necessary to perform an immediate medical consultation.
For its part, the symptoms of chikungunya fever generally begin 3 to 7 days after the mosquito bite. The most common symptom is the sudden onset of fever, often accompanied by joint pain. Other symptoms that may appear are: muscle pain; upside down; nausea; fatigue and skin rash. Severe joint pain usually lasts a few days, but can persist for months, affecting full recovery and return to daily activities.
In the presence of any of these symptoms (both dengue and chikungunya) it is very important to consult a doctor early, not self-medicate and take measures to avoid mosquito bites and thus prevent them from continuing to transmit the virus.