Facade of the Aurelio Valdivieso hospital, in Oaxaca de Juárez, where the three affected minors are hospitalized. CS Hospital Aurelio Valdivieso (RR.SS.)
The appearance of possible cases of rabies in three minors alerted Oaxaca on Christmas Day.
The health authorities activated the epidemiological surveillance protocol before the report of the possible disease, which could have affected the three children, aged seven, eight and nine years respectively, in the town of Palo de Lima, a municipality of San Lorenzo Texmelúcan, on 100 kilometers from the state capital.
After the minors were hospitalized, personnel from the preventive and disease control programs carried out a follow-up to locate the contacts at risk.
The three affected are admitted to the Doctor Aurelio Valdivieso Civil Hospital, in Oaxaca de Juárez.
In the statement issued by the State Health Services (SSO) they warn that two of the children are in serious condition, while the third is under medical supervision.
The authorities carried out the corresponding tests on the patients, who were later sent to the Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference Institute (Indre) to confirm or rule out the virus.
The SSO recommended in the statement to go and report attacks by domestic or wild animals to the medical service to start the care protocol and identify the presence of the virus “in time”.
In addition, he asked to "avoid touching or approaching" wild animals, as well as other pertinent recommendations: keep garbage in well-covered containers and prevent the passage of wildlife to houses by closing doors, windows and other entrances to houses. .
Through social networks, the Oaxacan health authority shared a letter of recommendation to the population.
In it, he explained that rabies "can be acquired by having contact with infected saliva through bites or scratches."
Among the symptoms of viral zoonosis are: fever accompanied by pain, tingling, itching, dehydration, malaise, hyperactivity, fear of water and fear of drafts.
The cause of death may come after the spread of the virus through the central nervous system, since it can cause progressive inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, which could be fatal.
Rabies is a viral zoonosis that is transmitted through a deep bite or scratch from an infected animal.
Therefore avoid touching or approaching wild animals mainly.
pic.twitter.com/p7q34Ucvta
— Health Services (@SSO_GobOax) December 25, 2022
Between 2010 and 2019, there were 13 deaths related to rabies transmitted by wild animals, according to the Ministry of Health in its
Specific Action Program
for the period from 2020 to 2024. Of these, 10 (76.9%) corresponded to transmission by bats, two by skunks (also known as skunks) and one by the gray fox.
The common pattern in all the 13 deaths collected, describes the report, was that of "not going to request medical-anti-rabies care immediately."
In 2021, 92.5% of the 1.1 million deaths registered in Mexico were related to diseases and health problems, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography.
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