They find foci of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes after the disease was diagnosed in Sancti Spíritus

Cuban authorities found foci of the malaria-transmitting mosquito in Jatibonico, municipality of Sancti Spíritus whereA few days ago a case of the disease was reported.

Carlos Ruiz Santos, director of the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, reported that after the case was diagnosed, an evaluation of the existence of the mosquito began.Anopheles in the town.

"A radius of action was worked in the search of two kilometers around the house and we found some breeding sites for this mosquito," he admitted.

Ruiz Santos stressed that malaria is not endemic because it was eradicated many years ago, only less than 15 cases are reported each year and always from people who enter the country already infected.

"We do have to worry because there are variants, types of malaria, that can bring important complications, especially neurological ones; that if the symptoms extend over time and the patient does not come in time, it can put an end to the life," he warned.

This week it emerged that the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) in Havana confirmed an imported case of malaria in a Cuban who arrived from an African country at the end of December, although it was not until January 26 that the health authorities They registered the case.

The patient - a non-health collaborator - arrived in Jatibonico on December 24 from the People's Republic of Angola. He spent several days at home until January 17 when he began to develop fever, general malaise, and skin lesions.

On the 23rd he went to the doctor and was admitted, as he had just returned from a country where malaria is endemic. After testing positive for the disease - known as "thick blood" - the sample was sent to the IPK and on January 26, Vivax type malaria was confirmed, transmitted by the mosquito of the species.Anopheles.

Then he went to Room 4 A of infectious diseases at the Camilo Cienfuegos General Provincial Hospital, where he is in an isolated cubicle. The man is evolving favorably, maintaining the initial medical treatment, his main symptom is fever.

For their part, the health authorities began an active investigation in more than a thousand homes to look for people with manifestations associated with the disease.

In addition, 1,025 houses were fumigated three times and traps were placed to capture adult mosquitoes.

So far no other positive has been confirmed. Several people have come to the clinic with feverish symptoms, but only three cases of dengue have been confirmed.