2024-01-06 03:28:00
Cristina Freuler*
2023 was the year with the highest historical record of dengue cases in Latin America, exceeding 4.1 million new infections. Although the highest number of cases was observed in Brazil with 2,909,404 cases, in Argentina 126,430 cases were diagnosed (including the first half of December), according to the National Epidemiological Bulletin N°683 of 2023. Although in some South American countries (Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela) the four serotypes of the dengue virus circulate (DENV1, DENV2, DENV3 and DENV4), in Argentina, DENV 1 and DENV2 are detected indigenously. Obviously a traveler can bring any serotype.
But what is dengue? Who is to blame for this increase and who is responsible for limiting it?
dengue It is a viral disease that is not transmitted between people and requires the intervention of a mosquito, Aedes aegypti, to spread. that after biting an infected person transmits the virus to a healthy person. It is a small mosquito, with white spots on its legs, that bites both day and night, and breeds in calm, clean water (neither stagnant nor contaminated).
The disease occurs in three stages and symptoms appear between the third and tenth day of the bite, after the incubation period. The first is the febrile stage and may be accompanied by retro-ocular headache, muscle pain and skin rashes. You should avoid taking aspirin, ibuprofen or other pain relievers that can promote bleeding, with paracetamol being the most indicated. The symptoms last about 5 days and the patient improves in most cases. However, in some cases, the disease progresses to a second phase. This is the critical stage in which, after an improvement of 12 to 24 hours, fever reappears, abdominal pain and vomiting are added. and possibility of bleeding. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should consult your doctor immediately, since early treatment guarantees good results.
Finally, the recovery stage arrives. Dengue is generally cured without leaving any sequelae.
The culprit for the increase in mosquitoes and, therefore, the disease, is climate change that generates the presence of the insect for longer periods of the year. It is well known that the mosquito does not bite or reproduce when it is cold, but the eggs that did not develop By the arrival of winter they may already be infected (transovarian transmission) and when spring arrives, already infected mosquitoes will be born.
We are all primarily responsible for preventing dissemination. Mosquitoes do not fly further than 150 meters from where they were born (unless they enter a vehicle); That is to say, if I have mosquitoes at home I should go check my garden for breeding sites. In some places they are organized by block and one day a week everyone checks their gardens. In apartment buildings, the puddles in the garages and the flower pots at the entrances -to cite some examples- are places suitable for the development of mosquitoes.
And if we suspect we are sick, we must avoid being bitten by mosquitoes – which may be healthy – to break the chain of contagion.
Although the best prevention against dengue is to avoid mosquito bites using repellents and mosquito nets, a vaccine was developed a few years ago that protects against all 4 serotypes. It is a live virus vaccine, so not everyone can receive it. It is contraindicated in children under 4 years of age, pregnant women, patients with low defenses (on chemotherapy, transplant recipients, AIDS patients, etc.) and is indicated with caution in those over 60 years of age (risks and benefits must be evaluated). It is known to be more effective in those who have already suffered from the disease. It has been applied in Argentina for two months.
* Doctor of Medicine (MN 58098), specialist in infectious diseases and clinical medicine, associate professor at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of the Austral University and head of the Department of Internal Medicine at the German Hospital.
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