The first fact that explains why
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)
is the most feared disease in children under 5 years of age is that, according to this summer's statistics,
88 percent
of cases required hospitalization.
This condition already places it in a different place, from an epidemiological point of view, compared to other conditions whose symptoms cause, on average, much lower levels of severity.
Despite this, after the increase in this disease in 2023, in the last few hours a trend was known that would be reporting
good news
.
So far this year the number of HUS cases has
decreased sharply
.
In the first seven weeks there were
49 infections registered in the country
, the lowest mark for the period of the last decade, according to data published this weekend in the National Epidemiological Bulletin.
Last year at this same time there had been
81 cases
and in 2022, 73. The curve
had fallen
until 2018 but then it rose again (except for the pandemic year 2021, when there were 53 cases in the indicated period).
The 2014-23 average is
86 cases
.
HUS mainly affects boys.
Of the 49 infections this year,
34 were in children under 5 years of age
.
The largest number of cases occurred in the province of Buenos Aires (15), Córdoba (7), CABA (6) and Mendoza (4).
HUS is produced by the Escherichia coli bacteria, present in the fecal matter of animals and people.
Its danger appears when
the meat
(especially minced meat) is not well cooked, it is eliminated above 70 degrees) and it can also be present in
raw vegetables
, so good washing is key.
The
bad news
is that even though cases went down,
deaths went up
.
In January, three children under the age of five died in Córdoba and two other deaths (of those over that age) were added to bring the total to
five so far
this year.
The 2019-23 average for the same period was
two deaths
.
So the fatality (deaths over number of cases) is, at least until now,
much higher this year
(10 percent) than previous years (2.32 percent).
What experts say about changes in the HED
Asked about this scenario, Eduardo López, head of the Department of Medicine at the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, confirmed the low numbers of cases but warned about the
increase in deaths
, which he possibly attributed to late medical consultation
or in places not prepared
for assist this pathology.
López explained that “
early consultation
is very important so that patients are referred to high-level nephrology centers.”
Infectious disease specialist Eduardo López emphasized early consultation to prevent cases from getting worse.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger
Regarding the decrease in infections, he said that “we must keep in mind that we are only taking six weeks and we must analyze the entire summer to see if there was a significant drop.”
Although he admitted that the trend is downward and attributed it to “
better management and control of food
, not only meat but also raw vegetables or cross contamination.”
Fernando Burgos, head of the Pediatric Outpatient section of the Austral Hospital, said: "We have had fewer cases in these first two months of the year and this probably has to be attributed to greater
awareness in cooking
meat and not giving it minced meat for children under 5 years of age.”
Burgos also put forward as a hypothesis the fact that the decline in meat consumption in Argentina, a product among other things of the rise in prices and the crisis, could be
one of the elements
to take into account in the analysis.
Pablo Moreno, president of the Argentine Society of Pediatrics (SAP), also spoke about the drop in HUS cases: “Hopefully this is due to
prevention actions
and awareness on the part of the population, and I also hope that one day our meat for human consumption is not contaminated with the bacteria.
Unfortunately, we continue to be world leaders in the incidence of this disease.”
Advice from the Ministry of Health to avoid HUS
Wash your hands thoroughly
with soap and safe water after using the bathroom or changing diapers, before preparing food and eating, and after handling raw meats and vegetables.
Also after having contact with animals or their environment.
Avoid cross-contamination
: in food preparation areas, clean and disinfect equipment and surfaces, cutting boards and utensils after they have come into contact with raw meat and/or its juices;
Separate raw meats from cooked or ready-to-eat foods during purchasing, storage and preparation.
Cook the meat completely
until there are no red parts inside, pink juices, (minimum 71°C in the center of the piece), especially minced meat, and its derived preparations (hamburgers, meatballs, rolled meat bread, empanadas, meatloaf).
Washing fruits and vegetables
with plenty of safe water: in the case of leafy vegetables, wash leaf by leaf;
disinfect with a solution of safe water and bleach, taking into account using bleach that indicates on the label “suitable for disinfecting water” and registered with the ANMAT;
Use the amount indicated on the container and let it act for the time mentioned there.
Avoid consuming raw milk
, dairy products and unpasteurized juices.
Avoid handling food
if the person has diarrhea until medical discharge is obtained.
P.S.