Alarm due to increase in fever and diarrhea in Las Tunas

The health authorities of Las Tunas have raised the alarm due to a significant increase in cases of fever and diarrheal diseases in the province, a situation that could be related to the spread of the Oropouche virus, known to be transmitted through the bite of mosquitoes of the Culex genus.

Viviana Gutiérrez Rodríguez, director of Health in that territory, explained in a work meeting that, although there have been no confirmed cases of Oropouche in the population of Las Tunas, the situation remains worrisome, as reported by the local newspaper Periódico 26.

There is no evidence confirming the presence of Oropouche in the population of tunera. However, since June 20th, in the Colombia municipality, the town of San José shows a high percentage of its population with fever and diarrheal symptoms, a manifestation that could indicate that they have the disease," said Gutiérrez Rodríguez.

The studies carried out have been sent to the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Havana, as the preliminary results came back negative for dengue. "We must remain vigilant about the spread of the virus in Cuba. It could arrive here at any moment," he added.

In the community of Bartle, located in the head municipality with a population of 15,000 inhabitants, a concerning increase in febrile syndromes has also been observed.

Sanitation actions have been carried out, and although the number of cases has decreased in recent weeks, that area has a high percentage of leaking sewers," explained Gutierrez Rodriguez.

He said that one of the major challenges facing the territory is the collection of solid waste, especially during rainy seasons, which represents a potential risk for the increase of infection sources. Cuban authorities acknowledged on Thursday that they do not have fuel to fumigate against mosquitoes that transmit dengue and oropouche.

Cuba is facing a new health alert due to the increase of both diseases in several territories of the country. The Oropouche virus has been confirmed in nine provinces and 23 municipalities.

The municipalities of Matanzas, Mayabeque, Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila, Holguín, Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, and Cienfuegos have confirmed the presence of the virus based on samples studied at the national reference laboratory of the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK).