Cuban health ministry continues health monitoring due to rise in arbovirus infections

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 24 (ACN) The Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) reported on its website that epidemiological surveillance and vector control efforts have been intensified last week, in response to an increase in febrile cases associated with arboviruses such as dengue and chikungunya.

Deputy Minister of Public Health Dr. Carilda Peña Garcia explained at a press conference that twelve provinces reported increased evidence of dengue transmission, including Guantanamo, Ciego de Avila, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Havana, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, and Camagüey.

She also noted that thirteen territories confirmed active circulation of chikungunya, with the most concentrated outbreaks in Matanzas and Havana, where population density and geographic conditions favor the spread of the transmitting mosquito.

During the last week, 13,071 new cases of fever were registered, a figure that reflects both the real presence of the disease and the strengthening of the surveillance system, which acts from the first symptoms without waiting for clinical confirmation.

The national rate of suspected dengue cases stood at 24.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, which requires an intensive and coordinated response at all levels of the health system, the vice minister stated.

Peña Garcia indicated that, given resource limitations, priority was given to the strata with the highest transmission levels, ensuring the use of insecticides and abatement in the most affected areas, with the support of adulticide treatment carts and portable equipment in all provinces.

She highlighted the role of the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK), which houses the regional reference laboratory for arboviral diseases, directed by Dr. Maria Guadalupe Guzman, which allows monitoring viral behavior and anticipating risk scenarios.

In her remarks, the deputy minister urged the population to maintain home hygiene and protect themselves from mosquito bites, reminding everyone that public discipline is essential to breaking the chain of transmission.

For his part, the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Dr. Reynol Delfin Garcia Moreiro, affirmed that the national health system has activated all its strategic components to guarantee a comprehensive, organized, and effective response to the confluence of arboviruses, respiratory viruses, and digestive diseases.

Garcia Moreiro emphasized that more than 10,700 family doctor's offices remain open, with doctors and nurses prepared to provide primary care, thus avoiding unnecessary complications and hospitalizations.

He specified that there are 451 municipal polyclinics with emergency and intensive care services, and that the majority of patients are under home care, with follow-up from the health department, while children under two years of age, pregnant women, and people with comorbidities are hospitalized.

The deputy minister noted that the experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic strengthened the system's responsiveness, which now relies on teaching, innovation, and communication to address current health challenges.