- As per official notice from Peru’s health authority, the emergency would last for 90 days.
- The health ministry informed about more than 11,500 cases and 16 deaths associated with the dengue outbreak in 2023.
Peru’s government declared a health emergency on Thursday after a dengue outbreak in 13 departments in the north, center, and southeast of the country. According to an official notice, the health ministry noted more than 11,500 cases and 16 deaths associated with the condition so far in 2023. Last year, the country recorded more than 72,800 dengue cases and 84 deaths from the outbreak. In comparison to the same time in 2022, the data shows 72% higher cases this year.
The Alarming Situation
The outbreak collapses the health system in the eastern Santa Cruz provinces. However, the most populous region of the South American nation, Santa Cruz, has recorded 5,225 cases, for instance. The number of cases in Santa Cruz has drastically increased worry among hospital staff.
Milka Caceres, chief officer of the emergency department of Mario Ortiz Children’s Hospital, Santa Cruz, Peru, told a national television station there is a shortage of health staff, and the hospital beds are filled. If you will see a hospital patient, it is a much more dangerous situation than what you are thinking right now. Caceres further continued that we are in a terrible situation. When the parents of three infants ranging in age from one to five months reported that their children had died from dengue symptoms, they were unable to get to the hospital bed due to a shortage of space. The situation has been alarming since the beginning of this week.
In lower elevated regions of Peru, dengue fever is shown as a major threat all over the year. Nevertheless, transmission is normally at its peak between September and May, when the climate is most favorable to mosquito reproduction.
According to health authorities, More than 11,580 cases of dengue fever were registered from January 1 to February 12. Still, there is a state-wide increase in the disease. 6,741 cases were reported over the same time period in 2022, which were 1.7 times lower than the current situation. The area with the most cases is Ucayali (2,146), followed by Loreto (2,027 cases), Madre de Dios (1,284 cases), Piura (1,232 cases), and San Martin (1,077 cases).
According to a government source, Bolivia, a neighboring country of Peru, recorded 6,800 cases and 26 deaths due to dengue. The health ministry issued a statement stating that “the cumulative number of dengue cases in Bolivia has reached 6,825 with 26 deaths.” Bolivia reported around 56,394 cases in 2020, 49,274 cases in 2021, and 72,851 cases nationwide in 2022.
In order to stop further spread, health officials are now concentrating on improving healthcare services, epidemiological surveillance, and health promotion initiatives.
Details About Dengue
This is a mosquito-borne tropical disease that causes a high temperature, headache, vomiting, discomfort in the muscles and joints, and occasionally even death.
Dengue fever is spread via the bite of an infected mosquito. A sudden high fever and at least one of the following signs and symptoms, including a rash, easy bruising, nose or gum bleeding, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint discomfort, are all indications of the same. The average onset of symptoms is 5-7 days after being bitten. However, it can happen up to 10 days later. If the symptoms is not diagnosed and treated right away, it can develop into dengue hemorrhagic fever. That is a fatal illness.
In some countries, vaccination for dengue is available for residents. However, patients having a history of infection or those living in nations with fever outbreaks should take it.
Guidelines About Dengue
- If you have ever had dengue, then speak with your doctor about fever for the vaccine.
- Always stay away from standing water and avoid getting bitten by a mosquito in order to decrease the risk of dengue infection.
- If symptoms appear two weeks after being in the infected areas, get medical help.
- If you suspect dengue fever, avoid using aspirin or ibuprofen since these medications may make the disease’s tendency to bleed worse.
