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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, April 19th 2024 - 20:23 UTC

 

 

New strain of dengue further exposes Paraguay’s population to the spreading disease

Monday, February 18th 2013 - 06:26 UTC
Full article 4 comments

Paraguay health officials have detected a new strain of the tropical mosquito-transmitted disease dengue identified as serotype 4, the first case reported since last year which expands significantly the population’s exposure. Likewise the latest official report indicates 26 confirmed dengue deaths and over 13.000 infected. Read full article

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  • ChrisR

    This is a potentially very serious development if only for the fact that it adds another serotype to the pool that can create difficulties if the patient has already had an infection from one of the other serotypes.

    Unless and until the countries around Paraguay take dengue suppression seriously, in particular Argentina who this year did nothing at all to protect the citizens in the NW from this serious infection, then deaths from all serotype cross infections will increase unchecked.

    What really exasperates me is that fact that even Brazil FORGET to treat the sources of mosquitoes in a timely fashion, it always takes deaths to wake everyone up. Is this a LatAm thing?

    Feb 18th, 2013 - 01:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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  • GeoffWard2

    Have to say, Chris, the Dengue Control teams are pretty hot around the properties of coastal Bahia. But the back-beach lagoons are breeding grounds and the slow-flowing, often grossly faecally-polluted, rivers crossing the coastal strip means that Control cannot be 100%.

    I'm glad for what they do, but with both partner and friends who have already had one dengue dose, I fear for them greatly, and more so now.

    Feb 18th, 2013 - 09:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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  • ChrisR

    2 GeoffWard2

    I agree and sympathize with you greatly Geof.

    The husband of a British friend of mine living in Oz had it twice and the doctor was adamant that next time it would kill him. So they moved to Canterbury (UK) and when I checked the antibody log for dengue I discovered that dead birds examined in Kent had the antibody (meaning of course they had had the dengue virus).

    I agonised whether I should tell them but when I did he was grateful to know the facts.

    Perhaps I am teaching my granny to suck eggs here but the best you can do in the situation you find yourself in is to use the very best deterrents / inhibitors such as window screens, long-sleeved clothes, insecticide treated materials, coils and vaporizers.

    You and your neighbours could team up and do a local vector examination to alert the local authorities to treat the areas in question. I don’t think, from my limited experience in SA that it is wise to rely on any government over this, though Uruguay do seem to be the most proactive of the lot.

    Sorry if I am preaching Geof, but this is a potentially fatal disease for young children and aged adults and I would never forgive myself if you had not realised some of the things I have written. :o)

    Feb 19th, 2013 - 04:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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  • GeoffWard2

    Thanks, Chris.

    Feb 20th, 2013 - 06:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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