MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine province of Misiones ups dengue prevention measures

So far this year, Argentina has logged 527,517 cases of dengue, a 320% increase from 2023, the Federal Health Ministry found

The Argentine province of Misiones, one of the most vulnerable to the spread of dengue and other maladies carried by the aedes aegypti mosquito, has upped preventive actions ahead of the warmer seasons when infections among humans tend to multiply.

Misiones Health Minister Héctor González highlighted the importance of dengue prevention and the province's latest measures, such as an increase in vaccination coverage.

“This is the right time to work strongly against dengue, using all available tools,” he explained while underlining that coordination with municipalities was crucial to curb the number of aedes aegypti mosquitoes through the elimination of breeding sites and thus mitigate the impact of dengue.

Regarding dwindling vaccination rates worldwide, Misiones has improved its records this year, González pointed out. “There is a very strong work we have been doing since we started. Dengue limited us a lot because people had a fever and could not get vaccinated, but now we are working at full capacity,” he said. The Ministry has implemented innovative strategies to increase vaccination coverage, including cultural and recreational activities in the towns to attract the population and take vaccination beyond the traditional health centers.

So far this year, Argentina has logged 527,517 cases of dengue, a 320% increase from last year, the Federal Health Ministry said Sunday. In the first 28 weeks of 2024, the country already recorded around 97% of the number of cases of previous years during the entire season starting in epidemiological week 31 of 2023, the latest National Epidemiological Bulletin showed. So far 401 patients have died from dengue this year in Argentina.

The highest number of cases was reported in the central region, which accounted for 60% of occurrences, against 24.9% in the northwest, and 13% in the northeast, where Misiones is located. The incidence rate stood at 1,157 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, declining for 14 weeks, the report also detected.