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The Ministry of Public Health of Cuba (MINSAP) officially recognized this Wednesday the death of three people due to dengue so far in 2025.
The figure -very low- represents the first official acknowledgment of deaths from arbovirosis this year, following weeks of institutional silence and public denials in response to citizen reports warning of an increase in severe cases, particularly in the province of Matanzas.
The information was confirmed by the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Dr. Carilda Peña García, during a statement to state media in which she also provided an update on the circulation of vector-borne viral diseases in the country.
A low figure after weeks of denial
The three deaths from dengue were supported—according to Peña—by necrological studies and prior clinical diagnosis.
Neither the deputy minister nor the media that reported on her statements provided details about the ages, provinces, or clinical conditions of the deceased, which maintains a concerning opacity regarding the handling of the crisis.
The recognition, however, marks a substantial shift from what had been stated by other key figures in the sector in previous weeks.
Expanding viral circulation: Dengue, Chikungunya, and Oropouche
Peña García confirmed that three active arboviruses are currently circulating in Cuba: dengue, chikungunya, and Oropouche fever.
He indicated that dengue is present in 12 provinces, while chikungunya is transmitted in eight.
Regarding this last point, it was noted that the first cases were detected in July in the popular council of España Republicana, in the municipality of Perico, in Matanzas, but the disease has already spread to other areas.
The Oropouche fever, for its part, would be in a phase of decline.
General symptoms include fever, headache, general malaise, and joint inflammation.
In the case of chikungunya, it can last chronically for up to 90 days. "The most significant evidence of severe or critical cases is associated with dengue," he pointed out.
Home income and limited resources
Regarding the care protocol, the deputy minister explained that home admission remains an option for patients without comorbidities, reserving hospitalization for individuals with other conditions.
Although this measure may be seen as a way to alleviate the pressure on hospitals, in practice it has raised concerns and complaints from patients who have been left unattended at home, without proper follow-up or adequate medical resources.
Peña also warned about the conditions that favor the proliferation of mosquitoes—deterioration of community hygiene and increased rainfall—and noted that resources for fumigation and vector control "are allocated to areas where there is evidence of transmission."
The statement reveals an evident limitation in the availability of insecticides, fuel, and technical personnel, which negatively impacts the non-prioritized areas.
An official narrative in crisis
The announcement of the three deaths comes after weeks of contradictions in the official narrative.
On October 8, the national director of Epidemiology, Dr. Francisco Durán García, categorically denied that any deaths due to arboviral diseases had occurred, and dismissed as false the reports mentioning "11 deaths in one night" in Matanzas.
One day later, the Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, stated in a meeting with authorities from the Communist Party that "there are no deaths in Matanzas from this disease. There are neither severe nor critical cases," and he assured that "no one can hide an epidemic or the dead."
The revelation today of three deaths—although they have not been directly linked to Matanzas—calls into question the transparency of the authorities and reinforces the perception of an information policy based on narrative control rather than on health-related truth.
Other circulating diseases
In addition to the arboviral diseases, the deputy minister reported on the circulation of seasonal respiratory viruses and outbreaks of hepatitis A in closed populations, without providing further details.
Peña García's final call was to not underestimate the symptoms: “It is essential to see a doctor when experiencing nonspecific fever symptoms,” he stated.
But the recommendation clashes with everyday reality: long lines, a lack of reagents, and the refusal to admit patients are part of the situation reported in various regions, where the saturation of the system creates barriers to fulfilling that basic guideline.
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