2024-01-29 14:13:00
Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. When this insect feeds on the blood of a person sick with dengue and then bites other people, it transmits the virus to them/ REUTERS/Agustín Marcarián
Dengue had been eradicated from Argentina in the middle of the last century thanks to programs to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the vector of transmission of the infection. But in 1997, the indigenous circulation of the virus that causes dengue was detected once more in Salta and then the re-emergence advanced throughout the country. Since then, there has been an increase in cases between the months of February and May, including three major epidemics, in 2009, 2016 and 2020.
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But since last year, dengue is following a different trend: it is no longer seasonal. Throughout 2023 there were reports of cases even in winter.
In the first month of 2024, an unprecedented number of people with the infection have already been reported for the time of year. From the Ministry of Health of the Nation they informed Infobae that there were 11,800 reported cases of dengue during the first three weeks of January.
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In the first two there were between 3,600 and 4,800 cases per week, and in the third more than 3,000.
During 2023 there were reported cases of dengue throughout the winter in Argentina. Now there is an unprecedented figure in January (Getty Images)
According to the latest epidemiological bulletin of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, from the last week of October to January 20, 27,430 cases of dengue were registered. It means that there is a cumulative incidence of 59 cases of dengue per 100,000 inhabitants. Within that total of 27,430, there were 26,010 autochthonous cases (it means that the person acquired the infection near their place of residence).
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Another striking issue is that the epidemic outbreak is occurring in 11 of the country’s 24 jurisdictions. According to epidemiologists from the Health Ministry, these 11 jurisdictions have reported 5 or more cases without travel history. Additionally, all jurisdictions have reported imported cases.
The jurisdictions with indigenous circulation of dengue today are Chaco, Formosa, Misiones, Corrientes, Buenos Aires, City of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, and San Luis. The provinces of Mendoza, La Pampa and Neuquén reported cases that are under investigation in the last 4 weeks.
The DEN-1, DEN-2 and DEN-3 serotypes of the dengue virus circulate in the country / REUTERS / Cesar Olmedo
Dengue has four viral serotypes: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. Any of these serotypes can cause severe forms of the disease. During the last few months, 3 serotypes have been identified circulating in the country so far: DEN-1, DEN-2 and DEN-3, according to the epidemiological bulletin.
Last April, it was discovered in samples from infected people that the so-called “Genotype II-Cosmopolitan” of the dengue virus was also circulating. It was a finding from the National Institute of Viral Diseases (INEVH) “Dr. JI Maiztegui” – ANLIS.
“It is possible that this Cosmopolitan genotype is associated with more serious conditions,” explained Andrea Gamarnik, molecular virologist and director of the Biochemical Research Institute of Conicet and the Leloir Institute Foundation in Buenos Aires, in an interview with Infobae.
The incidence of dengue cases is higher among people who are between 15 and 74 years old in Argentina / Credit: Freepik
The cases diagnosed with dengue in Argentina are distributed in all age groups, but unevenly, with a minimum cumulative incidence in children under 4 years of age, with 11 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and a maximum of 76 cases per 100,000 in the group of 30 to 34 years.
Between 15 and 74 years of age, the cumulative incidence is higher than in the general population and decreases towards the ends of life.
Since the end of last October, 20 people have died from dengue in Argentina. Many had previous comorbidities/File
From the last week of October to January 20, 20 cases of patients dying from dengue were recorded. They were people who were in the Northeast region, which is the one that has recorded the most cases.
In 11 of the deceased, the serotype of the virus involved might be determined: 8 cases corresponded to the DENV-2 serotype and 3 cases to the DENV-1 serotype.
60% of the deceased cases were people of legal female sex and 40% were male. The average age is 31 years, with a minimum of less than 1 year and a maximum of 83.
The highest number of deaths corresponds to the group between 30 and 39 years of age and the highest rates are in that group and in those over 80 years of age.
Comorbidities were recorded in 6 of the 11 deaths from dengue. The most common were heart disease, diabetes, obesity and chronic kidney failure.
Last Friday, in the province of Misiones – which reported 2,325 cases from October to January 20 – a 3-month-old baby died from dengue. Another 6 deaths had been recorded in January.
In Misiones, health agents visit homes to detect containers with mosquito larvae and promote the discarding of useless items / Credit: Ministry of Public Health of Misiones
In dialogue with Infobae, the director of epidemiology of the Ministry of Public Health of Misiones, Eduardo Ramírez, explained that his jurisdiction carries out prevention actions to eliminate mosquito breeding sites throughout the year. “Although there was an increase in cases, the health system is not stressed in our province. There are 145.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Misiones. In provinces like Chaco, there are 847 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and in Brazil, 816 cases.”
To improve the situation, health agents go to the neighborhoods in the municipalities to actively search for people with non-specific fever symptoms, and to promote the elimination of useless objects and the detection of larvae. The dengue vaccine is also being administered in shifts to people between 20 and 40 years of age, including with medical indication.
Girls and boys in Misiones receive an awareness talk to protect themselves from dengue / Ministry of Public Health of Misiones
According to the Nation’s Health portfolio, the recommendations for prevention today are:
- All unused containers that may contain water must be removed. If the containers cannot be eliminated, the accumulation of water inside should be avoided (turn over, empty and brush frequently and/or store indoors).
- Use repellents, long-sleeved, light-colored clothing,
- Place mosquito nets on doors and windows,
- Put nets or tulle (over cribs or strollers)
- Use environmental repellents such as tablets (inside) or spirals (outside).
- When fever appears, accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: pain behind the eyes, muscle and joints, nausea and vomiting, intense fatigue, appearance of spots on the skin and/or bleeding from the nose and gums; Do not self-medicate and consult a health center or service as soon as possible.
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