Government of Santiago de Cuba admits outbreak of unknown viral disease in two municipalities.

The Provincial Health Directorate in Santiago de Cuba published an informative note this Monday in which it admitted an increase in reports of patients with non-specific febrile syndromes.

According to the statement published on Facebook, the cases were reported between May 12 and 18 in the municipality of Songo-La Maya, as well as in the health areas Carlos J. Finlay and Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, both located in the main municipality.

The clinical picture of the patients is characterized by headache, fever, general discomfort, loss of appetite, and muscle pains, explained the report.

He pointed out that up to now, eight patients have been admitted, all of whom show a favorable evolution "with resolution of the clinical picture between the fourth and fifth day of the illness," and no cases have been reported as severe.

Additionally, it was pointed out that samples were sent to the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine in Havana with the aim of conducting studies and determining the cause of this event.

"Due to the evolution and the epidemiological pattern, it corresponds to a disease of viral etiology," he said.

Although the Provincial Health Department in Santiago de Cuba only mentioned the eight admitted patients, the Santiago communicator Yosmany Mayeta recently warned about the outbreak of a viral disease, indicating that at least 20 people were admitted.

The independent journalist indicated that about 300 people had confirmed that the population was being affected and also pointed out that in the town of Santa María, in the main municipality, there were also cases.

Currently, the crisis with water supply in Santiago de Cuba is pushing people to extreme solutions, such as collecting water directly from a leak in the street, compromising its quality and safety and putting their lives at risk.

The residents of Los Pinos neighborhood, in the main municipality, have been without water through the aqueduct network for over two weeks. This issue has forced them to fill buckets and tanks directly from a large leak on the street.