The epidemiological situation in Cuba continues to be worrying, with a notable increase in dengue cases and the spread of the Oropouche virus.
According to the latest report from the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), dengue has been reported in 45 municipalities, 13 provinces and 50 health areas. The most affected provinces include Santiago de Cuba, Havana, Guantánamo and Camagüey, where the incidence rate of suspected cases has increased significantly.
Dr. Francisco Durán García, national director of Epidemiology, stressed that the current climatic conditions, with intense rains and high temperatures, are aggravating the epidemiological scenario on the island. These conditions favor the proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits dengue, which has led to an uptick in cases.
Duran urged the population to go to the doctor if they have any symptoms associated with dengue, such as headaches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea and high fever. Early detection and treatment are key to avoiding serious complications.
Expansion of the Oropouche virus
Regarding the Oropouche virus, an arbovirus that was detected in the country for the first time in May 2024, its presence has already been confirmed in the 15 provinces of Cuba and in the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud.
According to the MINSAP report, the virus has reached 109 municipalities and 197 health areas. Despite its spread, Durán assured that no serious complications or deaths related to Oropouche have been recorded to date.
According to the official note, the ministry has intensified surveillance in vulnerable groups, especially children and pregnant women, who receive close monitoring in primary health care centers.
Reactions of Cubans
The situation has generated concern among the population, which faces not only diseases, but also shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
Isabel Monter Mínguez expressed her concern in the official MINSAP account: “The lack of medicines in pharmacies and hospitals, as well as supplies to diagnose and treat these diseases, is worrying.” For her part, Grisel Herrera Polo lamented the lack of effective prevention measures: “The best prevention is to prevent mosquitoes from being born, and I don’t see that what is necessary is being done to prevent it.”
Other voices such as that of Ana Irma Beovide Alvares underline the seriousness of the health crisis on the island: «We are very bad in everything, and in health, terrible. “There is nothing to treat a sick person in hospitals.”
Given this panorama, Dr. Durán asked the population to collaborate with discipline in prevention and control actions, such as eliminating mosquito breeding sites in homes and maintaining environmental sanitation. However, many Cubans like Iraima Costa Díaz feel that official actions are insufficient: “The landfills are overcrowded and there are not even medications to reduce fever.”
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