There is a high possibility of experiencing
a new mosquito invasion
over the next few days.
Recent rains refilled the wells and ponds with water, where the eggs are.
And this time it may also happen that the number of insects of the
Aedes aegypti
species , responsible for the spread of dengue, chikungunya and Zika, increases.
For this reason, specialists already recommend taking precautionary measures for the rest of the week.
"This time we are not going to have the Aedes albifasciatus mosquito, which is the mosquito
of the flood.
What there is now is a great abundance of the aegypti, which is the vector of dengue," Victoria Micieli, a biologist with a focus on zoology, tells
Clarín
.
And she explains that "there are many breeding sites - those artificial containers of the dengue vector - that were filled with water; and it makes the eggs hatch. That will cause
an increase in the abundance of the aegypti
. "
Dengue Cases
Biochemist, vaccine expert and Conicet researcher, Daniela Hozbor, warned that
dengue cases increased by 2,500% in Argentina.
The researcher indicated that "climate change and the increase in temperature favor greater mosquito reproduction. In the northeast of the country there were cases all year round, so we have to be vigilant.
In La Plata there is already an alert for the outbreak".
He also pointed out that the dengue vaccine must provide protection against the four serotypes of dengue.
"Serious illness occurs when you have a second infection and with a different variant than the first. A vaccine of Japanese origin is authorized in Argentina.
It is safe and is indicated from 4 to 60 years of age.
For now it is in the private sector ".
According to the latest National Epidemiological Bulletin, in one year 57,210 cases of dengue were registered in Argentina: 52,770 without travel history (native), 2,497 imported and 1,943 under investigation, resulting in a cumulative incidence so far at the country level of 121 cases per hundred thousand inhabitants.
In the same period, 118 cases were classified as severe dengue (0.20%), and there were 38 deaths.
Currently,
17 jurisdictions have reported viral circulation in their territory.
Although cases of dengue were recorded in all age groups, between 15 and 69 years of age the cumulative incidence is higher than in the general population (121) and decreases towards the ends of life.
The minimum cumulative incidence is observed in children under 4 years of age, with 31 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and a maximum of 162 cases per 100,000 inhabitants between 25 and 34 years of age.
In one year, 38 people died from dengue, of which 28 belong to the year 2024. And they are concentrated in the provinces of Chaco (12), Corrientes (6), Formosa (5), Misiones (12), Buenos Aires (1) , Santa Fe (1) and Santiago del Estero (1).
In 20 of the cases the serotype involved could be determined: 12 cases corresponded to the DENV-2 serotype and 8 cases to the DENV-1 serotype.
Who should be vaccinated against dengue?
Dengue is spread when the mosquito feeds on the blood of a sick person and then bites others and transmits the infection that causes the disease.
It is never spread from one person to another, not through objects or breast milk.
The dengue vaccine consists of two doses separated by a minimum interval of three months.
Specialists consulted by
Clarín
explain who should apply it, how long it provides immunity and how long that protection lasts.
“The vaccine can be applied from the age of 4 and without age limit.
It is contraindicated for pregnant women, breastfeeding women and immunosuppressed people,” Eduardo López, pediatric infectious disease doctor and head of the Department of Medicine at the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, tells this newspaper.
According to the specialist, people who have already had dengue will benefit the most from the vaccine, since protection is essential for them, taking into account that it is very risky to get infected again.
“This group should have priority, although the reality is that there are people who had dengue asymptomatically and do not know it,” says López.
“Immunity is achieved 10 days after the application of the second dose, however, surely a certain level of antibodies will develop from the first application,” says the infectious disease specialist.
Consulted by
Clarín
, the Buenos Aires Minister of Health, Fernán Quiros, expressed that the decision to apply the vaccine en masse will be made after the National Immunization Commission (CoNain) gives it the go-ahead.
That organization decided to wait about eight months to find out on the ground the effectiveness of the vaccine.
So there would be definitions in the middle of this year.
As main conclusions,
the application of 2 doses of the vaccine showed an 84% reduction in hospitalizations due to dengue and a 61% decrease in cases of symptomatic dengue.
Symptoms
Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, whose main vector is the Aedes aegypti species.
Currently, it constitutes a major threat to global public health, with risk of infection in more than 125 countries, including many in Latin America.
Severe dengue has become one of the main causes of hospitalization and death among children and adults in some countries in the region.
Among the main symptoms are fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, diarrhea and vomiting.
It can also cause skin rashes.
S.C.