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The province of Ciego de Ávila faces an alarming health situation: dengue, Oropouche, and Chikungunya are circulating simultaneously in several municipalities, and the rains from hurricane Melissa threaten to further worsen the crisis.
Although the official weekly Invasor claims that "antivector actions are ongoing," the reality described by health officials themselves reveals an overwhelmed system and a vulnerable population facing the proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
According to the provincial health director, Dr. Kesnel Lima Ruíz, "serotypes 2, 3, and 4 of dengue are circulating in the area," a combination that increases the risk of severe forms and complications in patients who have already suffered from the disease.
It also acknowledged the increase in febrile cases and the confirmed presence of the Oropouche and Chikungunya viruses, two vector-borne infections that have caused significant outbreaks in other regions of the Caribbean.
The official himself warned about the need for medical follow-up for those who have suffered from any of these diseases, as they may develop liver damage and other complications up to three months later.
However, in practice, the healthcare system lacks resources, personnel, and diagnostic means to ensure that control, and the affected populations complain about not receiving timely fumigation or healthcare assistance.
An ideal scenario for mosquitoes, and an absent state
The rains from Melissa, which flooded streets, homes, and lots, have left stagnant water accumulations in entire neighborhoods, where trash and deteriorating sewage systems create a fertile ground for the reproduction of Aedes aegypti.
This mosquito, a transmitter of dengue, multiplies easily in conditions of heat and humidity such as those currently prevailing in the region.
Nevertheless, the institutional response is minimal: it is reduced to case blockades and targeted fumigations, which means that intervention only occurs in homes where there are already sick individuals and in the neighboring ones.
In fact, these are reactive and insufficient measures in the face of a crisis that is worsening uncontrollably.
The official newspaper itself acknowledges that Ciego de Ávila and Morón are in a phase of active transmission, while other municipalities - Chambas, Florencia, Majagua, Venezuela, and Baraguá - exhibit infestation rates so high that they place them in a high-risk situation.
However, the government insists on projecting an image of normalcy, supported by the statement from the Civil Defense, which declared the end of the Cyclonic Alert Phase and proclaimed a return to "normalcy" just hours after the hurricane.
The population, on the other hand, knows that the emergency is not over.
The neighbors live with foul-smelling waters, visible larvae in ditches and tanks, and a complete lack of pest control.
In neighborhoods like Ciro Redondo, residents have reported living among sewage for more than a month without any response from health authorities or the Water and Sewer Department.
Public health, between scarcity and propaganda
While local authorities urge people to "see a doctor for any fever or malaise," the Avilan hospitals lack medications, reagents, and basic diagnostic equipment.
Many patients are sent home without confirmatory tests or follow-up, which increases the risk of complications.
The government, for its part, continues to blame the climate and "social indiscipline" for the rise of diseases, but it ignores its own responsibility in the deterioration of the healthcare system and the neglect of vector control campaigns.
The country does not have enough fuel to ensure fumigations, and the lack of personnel—after years of medical emigration and low salaries—has halted epidemiological surveillance programs.
The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña García, recently acknowledged a significant increase in fever cases nationwide, with active transmission in over a hundred municipalities.
However, her recommendation to "not stay sick at home" contrasts with the reality faced by thousands of Cubans who struggle to find available doctors or hospitals with the capacity to care for them.
A risk that multiplies
With the passage of Melissa, the intense rains and floods leave behind a perfect breeding ground for the resurgence of dengue and other arboviruses.
As water accumulates in yards, pits, and makeshift tanks, the Aedes aegypti mosquito proliferates and the risk of contagion increases, especially in areas where trash collection and drainage are almost non-existent.
Instead of taking preventive measures, the Cuban state limits itself to issuing exhortations and slogans.
The fogging campaigns, once massive and systematic, are now sporadic or non-existent, and citizens must face alone the threat of an epidemic outbreak that could worsen in the coming days.
Ciego de Ávila, like much of the country, is trapped between official neglect, a healthcare collapse, and the spread of diseases that the government neither manages nor seems willing to control.
The rains from Hurricane Melissa not only left puddles and flooded homes; they once again exposed the fragility of a system unable to protect the lives and health of its citizens.
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