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HAVANA, July 5 (Xinhua) — Cuban health authorities have stepped up epidemiological control this summer due to the emergence of new viral diseases such as Oropouche fever in Caribbean islands.
“At this time of year, controlling the epidemiological situation is always a priority,” Public Health Undersecretary Carilda Pena said on local television.
The doctor explained that the situation must be adequately addressed this summer because “control of arboviral (viral diseases), especially dengue, is a top priority.”
Experts consider this disease, which is prevalent in Cuba, to be one of the major health problems, even the most serious problem in the region today due to the increasing number of cases.
Pernia noted that the incidence of suspected dengue cases in the country this year is similar to that of the past four years.
The deputy minister said the situation in the country is now complicated because “we are in a period of seasonal increase in diseases.”
“That’s why it’s important that we deal with this phenomenon. If we do our job well today, the (infection) curve will not rise like in 2022 and will follow the pattern of previous years.”
One of the issues that worries Cuban authorities is the emergence of Oropouche fever, caused by the virus of the same name, which has been reported in 12 of the island’s 15 provinces, according to the Cuban Ministry of Public Health (Minsap).
In this regard, the director of epidemiology at the Ministry of Health, Francisco Duran, said that so far “the only provinces without confirmed cases are Havana and Pinar del Río (in the west) and Las Tunas (in the east)” with the addition of the Special Municipality of Isla de la Juventud (in the southwest).
The epidemiologist explained on a television show that the disease has been reported in 32 of the country’s 168 municipalities.
Duran said the virus that causes the disease “has been found to a greater extent in rural and semi-rural areas” but has not caused severe cases or deaths on the island.
However, he confirmed that 42 people in Cuba were hospitalized with the disease, “without serious complications” but were admitted as a precautionary measure.
The expert assured that other infected people (the exact number was not disclosed) are under home medical monitoring.
In late May, the Ministry of Health confirmed the first cases of Oropouche fever in two municipalities in Santiago, eastern Cuba, but did not specify how many cases there were.
Health authorities insist on stressing the need for personal and household hygiene, especially during the current summer months when there is a high proliferation of Aedes aegypti, the vector of dengue, and Culex, the vector of Oropouche fever.
Cuba has an extensive public health network with 11,506 family doctors’ offices, 451 polyclinics and 150 hospitals, a system that employs more than 27,500 doctors, about 36,000 nurses and nearly 89,000 medical students, according to official data.
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