Cuban doctor: "There is no way to eradicate Oropouche"

A Cuban doctor claims that with the current hygienic and sanitary conditions existing in the country, it is not possible to eradicate the Oropouche virus.

Doctor Roberto Serrano, from Songo La Maya, Santiago de Cuba, gave an interview to the independent portal CubaNet in which he recalls that the virus is present throughout the national territory, as the situation is the same everywhere: sewage leaks everywhere, garbage in the streets, and a lack of fumigation.

"The conditions worsen every day, and almost all diseases are becoming endemic. Dengue appeared and we have never been able to eradicate it because there are simply more mosquitoes every day. There is no way that this can be eradicated," he stated.

Serrano emphasized that patients with Oropouche constantly relapse, and this is precisely due to the health crisis, in which the lack of medications is also a determining factor.

"When sanitary conditions are not changed, when everything remains the same, patients relapse, they have recurrences (...) There are patients who report around six or seven relapses, which is not common, for example in dengue or other types of viruses," he specified.

Regarding the possibility of deaths due to Oropouche, the doctor stated that deaths have occurred due to complications from the virus.

He explained that the infection of the virus is not a direct cause of death, but it can be secondary, and he expressed particular concern for patients with a depressed immune system, as the symptoms of the disease are very varied and treatments are scarce.

"This type of virus does not directly cause death, but it can indirectly lead to it. Here, for example, in Cuba, there are many patients subjected to extreme conditions regarding food, the lack of medications, and all kinds," he detailed.

Finally, Serrano referred to the scarcity of medications in pharmacies and health institutions, which is particularly serious in a disease whose treatment depends on the symptoms.

"When you do not have the basics to combat any kind of disease, you cannot make progress," he reaffirmed.