A Cuban shared on social media her experience with the virus affecting Matanzas, describing the days of fever and intense pain as "something horrible."
His testimony adds to a wave of reports highlighting the seriousness of the viral outbreak affecting the entirety of Cuba, particularly this western province.
"Day two of the virus. This is black, this is horrible. Your body freezes up, your joints, you can't stand up," the woman recounted, clearly affected, in a video that has gone viral. "I have a fever, pain in my legs, in my head... Your joints swell up."
The account aligns with symptoms consistent with chikungunya, a virus transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, whose circulation was confirmed by the Pedro Kourí Institute (IPK) since July.
Although local authorities avoid declaring a health emergency, citizen testimonies and press reports point to an out-of-control situation.
In the streets, the disease has been dubbed by the people themselves as "that which walks", an expression that - despite its origin in the repertoire of Van Van - encapsulates the fear, uncertainty, and lack of official information about the outbreak.
The name appears repeatedly in conversations, posts on social media, and local media, reflecting not only the physical impact of the virus but also its symbolic dimension: something invisible that arrives without warning and transforms daily life.
In her video, the woman also reported the shortage of medications and supplements like Polivit, which are difficult to find even in informal markets. "If you have the opportunity to buy, do it. This is very serious," she advised with sighs.
The health situation in Matanzas has worsened in recent weeks due to the accumulation of garbage, prolonged blackouts, and the collapse of the healthcare system. While the Faustino Pérez Provincial Hospital becomes a reference center for fever cases, residents of Santa Marta and Cárdenas report entire neighborhoods showing symptoms.
Activists like Amelia Calzadilla have publicly called for a declaration of a health emergency, denouncing the lack of official information and state response. “What virus is this? How can it be prevented? How is it treated?,” she recently questioned on social media.
The virus, which some confuse with dengue or even with a new strain, continues to spread across the island. In Matanzas, meanwhile, the population struggles between pain and misinformation, as mosquitoes continue to gain ground.
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