On April 1 and 9 of this year, two (2) new cases of acute Chagas disease were reported in rural areas of the municipalities of Pore and Tauramena, which correspond to a girl under 14 months of age and a 55-year-old man. , respectively.
The patients were referred to the Orinoquía Regional Hospital – HORO, with a fever of several days, for which reason direct parasitological tests were performed at said institution, with positive results for Trypanosoma Cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.
The reference of the departmental ETV program, Consuelo Urrego, reported that investigations are being carried out from the epidemiological and entomological components and by the public health laboratory, in coordination with Departmental and Municipal Public Health Surveillance and the health technicians of the program of ETV of the Secretariat of Health of Casanare, to determine if there are other people affected and the possible route of transmission.
It is important to highlight that there are different routes of transmission; the most common is vectorial, through the bite of whistles (triatomines) which, when feeding, defecate on the skin, leaving the feces contaminated with the parasite, which enters the blood. Another route of transmission is oral through the consumption of food or water contaminated by the parasite and another very important one is the congenital form of transmission, from a mother positive for the infection, to her child, during pregnancy.
According to the information obtained from the Public Health Surveillance System, so far this year, 5 people have been notified in the department with a diagnosis of acute Chagas disease, in the municipalities of Yopal (2), Támara (1) , Tauramena (1) and Pore (1).
Symptoms
The disease begins with an acute phase characterized by fever (greater than 7 days), accompanied or not by other symptoms such as swelling of the face or lower limbs, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, enlarged lymph nodes, swollen area, and reddened in the place of bite by the insect, among others. Given these symptoms, the health service should be consulted immediately to avoid complications and even death.
Diagnosis is key, it is done through blood tests; if they are positive, treatment will be started and, if necessary, other tests will be indicated to verify the state of the patient’s heart.
Recommendations for prevention
It is recommended that the community in general avoid building houses near the palm trees, as well as avoid building roofs in this material, since they are the habitat of the transmitting vectors of this disease; signs must be placed on doors and windows to prevent the vector from entering homes; keep in mind that the vector is attracted by artificial light. Frequently search for the insect on mattresses and walls. Have good hygiene and cleanliness practices inside and outside the houses and keep the chicken coops away from them.
To prevent oral transmission, it is recommended to wash food well before preparing or eating it, wash kitchen utensils well before using it, and cover food and water tanks. Do not consume undercooked meat or raw blood of wild animals.
Finally, to avoid congenital Chagas disease, women of childbearing age must attend a preconception medical consultation, during which, if the patient presents any risk of contracting the disease, her treating physician will order the necessary tests for the diagnosis of the disease. disease and, if positive, treatment can be ordered before becoming pregnant.
Source: Government of Casanare