Matanzas reported the first two cases of dengue for the 2026 season this Friday, located in the southern part of the territory, according to the main health authorities of the province in a weekly epidemiological update.
The emergence of dengue was anticipated with the arrival of heat and rain, conditions that favor the proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
The authorities warned that, in addition to the two confirmed cases, there is "a considerable number of suspected cases, which are being monitored with special attention."
In parallel, six municipalities —Matanzas, Cárdenas, Jovellanos, Pedro Betancourt, Ciénaga de Zapata, and Jagüey Grande— are on alert for hepatitis, although the authorities report "a steady decline" in cases.
An additional complication in monitoring the hepatitis outbreak is that in some cases, investigations on site have confirmed a misdiagnosis: the symptoms were confused with those of gastrointestinal diseases caused by enteroviruses, described as "episodes of diarrhea and vomiting that cease within 24 hours, accompanied by a mild fever reaching 38 or 39 degrees Celsius."
To clarify diagnostic doubts, the authorities sent samples to the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine.
The hepatitis A outbreak in Matanzas has been dragging on for months with tension. On June 4, the province reported seven new confirmed cases and 49 suspected cases in just one week, with the capital municipality accounting for about 40% of the annual provincial total.
In April, a health alert had been declared with 18 active cases in the Versalles neighborhood and seven in La Marina, in Cárdenas. In May, the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Julio Guerra, denied that Cuba was experiencing an epidemic of hepatitis A, although he acknowledged a "very complex" situation.
The regional context exacerbates the concern. Matanzas was one of the most serious hotspots in the country during 2025, when the government sent doctors and nurses to the province due to the rise in cases of dengue, chikungunya, and oropouche.
Cuba closed that year with at least 81,909 infected and 65 deaths due to combined dengue and chikungunya, according to the Pan American Health Organization, and officially acknowledged the epidemic on November 12, 2025.
In terms of maternal and child care, the infant mortality rate in Matanzas is , showing a declining trend. Additionally, a miscellaneous room has been opened at the Provincial Pediatric Hospital Eliseo Noel Caamaño to care for more than 50 infants under one year of age.
Regarding mobile emergency services, intermunicipal transfers decreased by 52 patients compared to the previous month, and the response time for ambulances was reduced to 18 minutes, the best result nationwide.
However, authorities warned that "the situation remains in critical condition" due to fuel shortages, and emphasized the need to create reserves managed by each territory instead of relying on the provincial distribution system.
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