MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina admits “very serious” dengue epidemics “which has come to stay”

Health Minister Graciela Ocaña finally admitted the situation is “very serious”

“Dengue is here to stay” in the Southern Cone and although not controllable it can be prevented , admitted Argentina’s Health Minister Graciela Ocaña as the mosquito transmitted disease reached metropolitan Buenos Aires following thousands of cases in the impoverished north which the government tried to downplay.

Ms. Ocaña admitted the situation is “very serious” and called for “the commitment of each citizen” to help address the epidemics. “This weekend, take some time off from resting and clean your home backyards and gardens”, so that the larvae of the Aedes aegypti don’t have where to reproduce.

The statements were made during a meeting with health authorities from the City of Buenos Aires and the province of Buenos Aires where tens of cases of “imported” dengue have been confirmed and continue to increase.

“It’s inevitable that dengue comes to stay in Buenos Aires”, said Jorge Lemus head of the Argentine capital health services adding that at least 160 cases had been confirmed. His counterpart from the province of Buenos Aires Carlos Zin admitted 38 confirmed cases and 78 suspects, pointing out that “any moment we have autochthonous cases”.

Lemus and Zin agreed that the focal point to instruct prevention was the school system: pressing on children –and on their parents-- the need to clear stagnant water and immediately report any suspect cases with such symptoms as high fever, muscular pains, vomiting and diarrhoea.

“Clinics, hospitals, all potential emergencies where dengue cases could be reported have been clearly instructed to have all the information sent to the Health Offices, we don’t want surprises as happened in the north of the country”, said Zin.

Meanwhile in the north of the country, the province of Santiago del Estero declared a state of dengue emergency with strict border controls to try and contain the spread of the disease from neighbouring Chaco, Salta and Catamarca which are the provinces with most reported cases totalling, officially, over 16.000.

But non government organizations insist that the number is closer to 30.000 given the initial efforts of President Cristina Kirchner administration of downplaying and even covering up the magnitude of the epidemics. Furthermore in 19 of Argentina’s 24 provinces there have been confirmed cases of the virus transmitted by mosquitoes.

The Argentine Northern provinces also are in contact with Bolivia, where over 60.000 dengue cases have been confirmed and at least 20 deaths caused by the more virulent haemorrhagic dengue variant.

“Last Friday we had 20.000 cases but on Tuesday the number climbed to 30.000. It’s an epidemics and it is moving fast”, said Jorge Yabkowski, president of the Argentine Federation of Health Professionals, which represents 20.000 doctors working in government hospitals in 18 provinces.

In neighbouring Uruguay which together with Chile so far are free of dengue, authorities called on the people to follow Health Ministry instructions regarding potential larvae breeding places.

“With open borders it’s a miracle, but obviously we are surrounded by countries which have endemic dengue and this is becoming increasingly complicated”, said Jose Mujica a presidential hopeful who insisted an “active and prevention” attitude was needed from everybody “if we are to fight proliferation”.

“Medicine can’t attack the cause of the disease, it can only help with the consequences, but every citizen can contribute to combat dengue with an active and alert attitude”, warned Mujica.