The members of the Senate Health Committee agreed to send a letter to the Undersecretary of Public Health to provide a series of background information on the cases of Streptococcus Pyogenes (a bacteria that aggravates influenza) that have been registered in the country in recent months, as well as the measures adopted by the authorities.
The parliamentarians expressed their state of alert due to the fact that cases of the so-called “killer bacteria” have tripled, which has been responsible for several deaths of patients who have contracted influenza, one of the most serious cases being that of Ñuble, where several cases of deaths associated with both conditions were confirmed.
Now – given the statistics provided by the Ministry of Health – the commission proposed to invite once more the Undersecretary of Public Health, Andrea Albagli, in order to complement the requested document. The document sent requests a breakdown of cases of this bacteria by region, both suspected and confirmed, plus the description of the measures implemented since November of last year.
What is Streptococcus Pyogenes?
It should be noted that Streptococcus Pyogenes is a bacterium that can cause a wide spectrum of diseases, from acute pharyngitis or skin infections to serious life-threatening infections. It is transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets and direct contact with infected people and surfaces. The most affected groups are preschool children and older adults.
At the last session of the Health Committee, its president, Senator Javier Macaya, stated that “the letter makes complete sense. It is an issue that is causing a great deal of concern and it is important to see what attitude the Ministry of Health will take regarding this issue.”
Senator Juan Luis Castro, meanwhile, said that “public alarm has been generated, and a health alert was declared on May 27. I believe it is pertinent that the authority also explains why, since November 23, when the PAHO established an alert for the Americas regarding Streptococcus Pyogenes, said act was executed six months later in our country,” he said.
Senator Francisco Chahuán, for his part, said that the health alert, in his opinion, “was late,” and that, in addition to the letter, he proposed that Undersecretary Andrea Albagli also be summoned to announce the measures that are being adopted.
According to the Minsal report delivered the first week of June, 191 cases caused by this infection had been detected during the first five months of the year, that is, 189% more compared to the same period in 2023. On the 5th of this month, the head of health, Ximena Aguilera, confirmed at least 6 deaths due to influenza associated with the killer bacteria.
In May, the Ñuble region issued a regional epidemiological alert due to the severity of the cases detected.
Likewise, in November of last year, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) had issued an alert stating that “in November 2023, Argentina reported a significant increase in the notification of cases and deaths due to this agent. Given this situation, PAHO/WHO recommends that member states carry out clinical and genomic surveillance, as well as ensure early diagnosis and timely treatment of cases of invasive disease due to group A streptococcus.”
“The right measure”
Among the senators for Ñuble, the representative of the UDI, Gustavo Sanhueza, said he was “absolutely in agreement with the decision of the Health Committee to summon the Undersecretary of Public Health to provide a series of background information regarding the cases of Streptococcus Pyogenes, the bacteria that aggravates influenza and that has caused several deaths in Ñuble. At the national level, cases have tripled, so it is very important to see what measures the Minsal will take regarding this issue, understanding that every minute we lose can be decisive in preventing other fatal cases from occurring,” he said.
He added that “what happened with influenza cannot happen once more, where the Ministry delayed the vaccination campaign with the consequences that we all know,” he said.
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