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Ecuador’s health minister anticipates a resurgence of dengue in a year with a record number of infections

Ecuador's health minister anticipates a resurgence of dengue in a year with a record number of infections

Ecuador’s top health authority anticipated on Thursday that in the coming months there will be a New spike in dengue cases with the upcoming arrival of the winter season in the country, in a year in which this disease has marked record numbers in at least the last decade.

In an interview with The Associated Pressthe Minister of Health, Antonio Naranjo, assured that “the rainy season will return again” and with it, there will be an increase in cases. He stressed that this year’s figures, more than 51,000 cases, are very worrying.

The disease is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito and has left 59 deaths in the country so far this year. In all of 2023, there were almost 28,000 cases and 33 deaths. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, skin rashes, and pain of varying magnitude in muscles and joints.

According to the Minister of Health, the figures do not accurately reflect the reality in the country because there is “a worrying under-reporting” as people do not go to state centres to seek medical help, but instead treat the disease at home. He did not give details or figures.

As in Ecuador, other countries in the region have faced problems with dengue. According to the Pan American Health Organization, in America, so far in 2024, 11.61 million cases of dengue and more than 6,564 deaths from this cause have been reported. It identified Brazil as the country with the highest number of cases (9.52 million) and a record of 5,250 deaths, followed by Argentina with 571,650 and 408 deaths.

Minister Naranjo explained that the spread of cases due to mosquito bites is related to inadequate management of stagnant water, inside and outside homes, where the insect reproduces. It is also related to Ecuador’s geography, with its abundant rivers, which have caused dengue to continue in provinces such as Guayas, Manabí, El Oro and Los Ríos, among those most affected by the disease.

Among the prevention and control actions that, according to the Health authority, have been implemented in the year with the most cases in the last decade are campaigns to educate the population, manage stagnant water, use insecticides and take personal care to avoid exposure to the mosquito that transmits this disease.

However, he did not specify whether additional measures would be taken in view of the expected increase in rainfall in the coming months.

However, Marcelo Aguilar, epidemiologist and professor at the Central University, in statements to the AP He stressed that dengue has “exceeded even the worst predictions” and questioned the Ecuadorian government and the Ministry of Health for what he called a “minimal, irresponsible and indolent” response.

Authorities should have undertaken fumigation campaigns for outbreaks, community preparation, and outbreak control actions, but “none of these actions have been taken.”

Thus, during the first quarter of this year, the total number of dengue infections was 14,997 and the number of deaths was 17, but in the second quarter the figure more than doubled to more than 40,000 and 46 deaths.

Experts agree that the factors that have triggered the surge include the El Niño phenomenon, characterized by abundant rainfall at the beginning of the year. However, the increase in cases continued even after the arrival of the dry season, since July, after which there has been an increase of about 5,000 cases.

Throughout last year, according to figures from the Ministry of Health, 27,838 cases were recorded; in 2022, a total of 16,017 infected people, in 2021, about 20,430 cases, and from then until 2016, dengue remained at less than 17,000 cases per year. The figure that comes closest to current values ​​is that of 2015, when it was at an annual value of 42,459.

Experts from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health have identified three types of strains, among the most widespread in Ecuador, which have migrated from other countries such as Peru and Brazil.

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