A Cuban identified on TikTok as @briana_matancera shared a testimony in which she recounts how dengue has affected her grandparents in the Naranjal neighborhood of Matanzas, despite them rarely leaving their house, as she explained.
"Dengue has taken over the province of Matanzas, and this is the case: even my grandparents, who don't even go outside, caught it," he said in the video, while showing images of nearby streets and overflowing ditches that, as he commented, could be related to the proliferation of mosquitoes. "I recorded some of the route and I filmed the overflowing ditches so you can see that this is why there must be so many mosquitoes biting us and giving us the disease," he explained.
The young woman recounted that she visited her grandparents with her son, bought juices and pastries to help them recover, and spent the afternoon with them. "For that, they only prescribe plenty of fluids and paracetamol for the pain, nothing more," she added.
The testimony is being circulated amidst a complex epidemiological situation in Cuba, characterized by the simultaneous circulation of dengue, chikungunya, and Oropouche virus, a public health crisis that has yet to be officially recognized by the Ministry of Public Health as “combined arboviral diseases”, despite the available medical and scientific evidence.
In Matanzas, infections have surged since July, and several municipalities have been identified as affected areas. While local authorities acknowledge the spread of dengue and chikungunya, they have officially denied the existence of any deaths linked to the outbreaks, although institutional silence continues regarding certain specific diagnoses.
Health care is also affected by these issues. At the Cárdenas hospital, patients and their families have noted that they have to pay for reagents and medications out of pocket due to a shortage of supplies, despite the denials from the provincial health system.
In addition to Cárdenas, five other municipalities —including Colón, Jovellanos, and Pedro Betancourt— are experiencing a high incidence of cases. However, vector control actions are limited due to a shortage of insecticides, fogging machines, and personnel, as acknowledged by the health authorities themselves.
The user's video has generated numerous supportive comments, recommendations about hydration, and affectionate messages for her family. In the recording, she concludes: "They lift their spirits as soon as they see us arrive," referring to the positive emotional impact of her visit and the presence of the great-grandson.
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