Since 2022, Latin America has seen a significant increase in dengue cases and deaths compared to previous years. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and its epidemiological update on this disease, this behavior continued in the first weeks of 2023 and everything indicates that some factors such as the climate have contributed to its spread in several southern countries. , Central and northern part of the continent.
The mosquito that spreads dengue fever, Aedes aegypti, could be translated as “Egypt’s nuisance” by its expression, but it’s more serious. It has existed in America for more than five centuries, ever since slaves were transported on ships from Africa to the so-called New World, and the journeys took just over two months. This Diptera manages to mature from egg to gnat between 7 and 10 days and lives up to a month. Today it is a plague that can be deadly in Latin America and parts of the United States because it transmits dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika, or canine dirofilariasis. [una enfermedad cardiopulmonar que afecta a los perros]. Dengue fever originates in the voice of the Swahili, an ethnic group in East Africa, who describe it as a spasm or shudder-like attack; It is characterized by causing high fever and muscle pain that can be fatal.
The PAHO epidemiological document noted that, in addition to Aedes aegypti, a variant of this Diptera species, the Aedes albopictus or tiger mosquito, also coexists in the Southern Cone, Central America, and parts of Mexico and the southern United States. According to several studies, this species has some resistance to insecticides and chemicals, according to the observations of specialists from the Department of Medical Entomology of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan.
How does dengue fever spread?
Infection occurs through the bite of a female mosquito; By taking blood from humans, it nourishes its eggs, which it deposits when ready, in spots where there is standing water in containers such as buckets, bowls, pots, vases, and even bowls used by pets to drink water is. The transmission is very simple, since it is enough to bite and pass from one human to another to reach the goal; In addition, during their life cycle, they manage to lay up to five dozen eggs.
How do I avoid contracting dengue fever?
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The Pan American Health Organization’s recommendations for preventing the spread of dengue fever are based on eliminating hatcheries in homes and public areas; reorganization of waste collection services; and define the areas of high transmission risk to prioritize those where there are crowds, such as schools, terminals, hospitals and health centers.
In addition to these suggestions, federal governments like Colombia are also recommending the use of repellents on exposed areas of the body; Wear appropriate clothing such as long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Use mosquito nets in houses. Fill disused septic tanks or drains, collect trash and solid waste, and keep open spaces clean.
Brazil
Dengue fever has been increasing in severity in southern Brazil since December 2022. Two factors have contributed to this: last year’s abundant rainfall and the increase in temperature due to climate change. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, there were more than 1.4 million cases nationwide in 2021, resulting in 980 deaths. That means about 2 to 3 deaths a day due to this condition.
Forecasts for addiction this year are worsening as the death toll could soar to over a thousand; This means that almost three people will die from these eruptions every day.
According to Infodengue, an arbovirus alert system based on hybrid data generated through integrated analysis of data extracted from the social web, as well as climatic and epidemiological data, most cases are concentrated in the southern and central-western region. Among the states that suffer the most from this situation are São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso and the entire Brazilian Amazon.
Argentina
One of the key points of the Argentine government’s health management is the fight against dengue fever. According to official information, 39 deaths due to severe courses were registered by the middle of this month; Faced with this situation, the authorities, through the National Administration for Drugs, Food and Medical Devices (ANMAT), have approved the use of the vaccine against this disease.
The active ingredient in the vaccine comes from the Japanese laboratory Takeda, which holds the Riopan patent, and it is expected that everyone over the age of four, whether they have the disease or not, will have two doses spaced be administered for three months.
This vaccine is called TAK-003 or Qdenga, according to the Japanese laboratory, and protects against all serotypes of the virus with an effectiveness of up to 80%; In order to obtain regulatory approval, the Japanese company stated that “Vaccination continued for 48 months post-vaccination and the vaccine was found to be generally safe and well-tolerated.”
Up until just under a month ago, Argentina had registered 56,324 dengue cases when it released its latest epidemiological report; 92% of cases are common in 13 of the 23 provinces nationwide. One point to consider, however, is the rise in temperature, as is happening in neighboring countries as they face a heatwave that could be the longest in more than a century on record.
Bolivian
Bolivia is another country that is under the magnifying glass of the dengue epidemic that exists in Latin America. Eleven deaths, including three infected babies, were recorded in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a city southeast of La Paz, the Andean country’s capital, in February this year.
At the time, the citizens of Santa Cruz asked Luis Arce’s government to declare a public health emergency, but this never happened. Added to this was the spread of COVID-19, because although it was already over by then, this regional epidemic did not bring about a truce.
Mexico
Mexico is no exception when it comes to dengue fever. The Mexican government, which has kept an active calendar of cases for each week so far this year, reports that as of May 8 this year there were 2,420 active cases and three deaths. The same report details that of the 32 entities in the country, there are 10 with no cases: Aguascalientes; Lower California; chihuahua; Coahuila; Mexico City; State of Mexico; Guanajuato; Queretaro; Tlaxcala and Zacatecas; By February, the situation was reversed, with cases recorded in 28 states.
“When the virus attacks the circulatory system, causing shock and internal bleeding, it can be fatal within hours; Dengue fever acts very quickly,” said Luis del Carpio, an internist and virologist from Veracruz, in an interview with EL PAÍS. In addition, he added that the severity of the disease had increased as they became more resistant and reached new places where they did not exist.
The weekly report points out that there are all kinds of serotypes in Mexico; Now 85% of confirmed cases occur in Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Veracruz, Guerrero, Tabasco and Chiapas, areas where the climate is suitable for mosquito development.
What about Dengue in the Southern Cone, Central America and Andean Region?
Since 2007, the epidemic in South America has spread from Paraguay to neighboring countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Now, 16 years later, countries like Chile have also issued a health warning in seven of their territories after detecting the presence of these insects last week.
According to the latest update of the PAHO epidemiological report, there were about 84.65 cases per 100,000 population in the Southern Cone; The Andean region had 78.55 cases per 100,000 people and the Central American Isthmus and Mexico had 18.77 cases per 100,000 people.
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