Servindi, January 18, 2011 - According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global incidence of dengue has increased dramatically in recent decades. This disease, transmitted by mosquitoes, appears in regions with tropical and subtropical climates, mainly in Asia, Africa and America, where it affects about 50 million people each year.
The Aedes aegypti is most important vector mosquito in the Americas. Four serotypes of this virus (1, 2, 3 and 4) have been identified, which complicates the search for an immunization vaccine.
Classic dengue symptoms include high fever (between 39º and 40º C), headache, malaise, retro-orbital eye pain and rash. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a potentially fatal complication characterized by high fever and, in severe cases, respiratory failure.
There is neither a vaccine to prevent dengue, nor a specific treatment for the disease. However, proper medical treatment of the effects of hemorrhagic fever (in the case of DHF) may save the patient's life.
In Peru, dengue epidemics were reported in 1818, 1877 and 1990. The last epidemic took place in the city of Iquitos, where it affected approximately 25% of the population and subsequently extended to the city of Tarapoto. On that occasion, it was still serotype 1.
The first case of the dengue virus serotype 2 in Peru was reported in 1995 in the cities of Tumbes, Máncora and Los Órganos. An epidemic of dengue was reported in the city of Piura in the first half of 2001 with an increased incidence of cases in Sullana and Chulucanas.
Dengue in Loreto
The dengue virus continues to claim victims in the provinces of the region of Loreto. Motor-driven backpacks to fumigate houses are one of the main requirements to combat the disease, according to Carlos Calampa, General Director of Health of that region.
Calampa del Águila regretted that the Ministry of Health only sent 20 units, 10 of which do not work. They had requested approximately 80 motor-driven backpacks to fight the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the main carrier of this disease.
The head of the Regional Health Department of Loreto stated that 1130 cases of dengue have been reported in the region so far, with 5 deaths, 23 people in critical condition and 326 people with alarming symptoms.
The authorities of Alto Amazonas have considered declaring the province in red alert due to the increase in dengue cases. Thirty people with symptoms of the disease are admitted on a daily basis to the Sana Gema Hospital in Yurimaguas.
Prevention Campaign in Lima
The "2011 Dengue Prevention and Control" campaign, led by the Minister of Health, Óscar Ugarte, was held in the District of Lima known as Comas, where the presence of the mosquito was reported in water containers.
The minister urged the population to take appropriate health measures to prevent the accumulation and breeding of the mosquito in water containers.
The campaign included visits to homes in the IV sector of Comas, as well as a fair, where citizens could educate themselves about the reproductive cycle of the mosquito and how to eliminate them.
Prevention
The only way to currently counteract the disease is to eliminate disease-transmitting mosquitoes. For this reason, it is necessary to constantly clean water containers and keep them covered, since that is where the female mosquito usually lays its eggs.
It is also important to remove wastes and useless objects that could serve nests for the insects.
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Traducción de Sylvia Fisher
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