On an early afternoon in late February, at the Muniz Hospital in Buenos Aires, a public institution specializing in infectious diseases, about forty people waited to be called by visibly overwhelmed doctors and nurses. sitting on the ground, Some are amorphous. Most, potentially victims of mosquitoes Aedes aegypti, Report similar symptoms of dengue: fever, muscle and eye pain, thirst and lack of appetite.
Lionel Castanaro, a 29-year-old mason, has them all. “I work outside, we get bitten all the time, it was inevitable. The symptoms lasted for two or three days, but I feel better since this morning.He explains, more worried about the condition of his partner, Juliana, 26, who sat with her head in her hands. “We think it’s dengue, we’ve come to investigate”, adds Lionel. Arriving at 8 a.m. after trying to seek treatment at six different hospitals the day before, the couple spent almost the entire day waiting.
A recent epidemiological bulletin published by the Ministry of Health has reported a staggering increase in dengue cases compared to 2023. 40,137 cases have been confirmed since the beginning of the year. An increase of 2,546% compared to the same period in 2023, which is expected to continue and which leaves significant cases unreported.
“exponential increase”
The virus has claimed 28 victims in Argentina since the start of the year. The provinces in the north of the country, especially those bordering Paraguay and Brazil, which have also experienced record infections in recent months, are the main ones affected. The Pan American Health Organization launched a pandemic alert for the Americas on February 16, following figures from the first week of the year, which reflected. “Exponential increase in reported cases in various countries of the region”.
“The epidemic situation related to dengue has been increasing since October (2023). As a result of the non-interruption of transmission during the winter, the period when cases generally increase is expected.Ministry of Health explains.
The presence of this virus, so far episodic in Argentina, becomes permanent, as a result “Climatic conditions linked to the El Niño event with an increase in rainfall and high average temperatures favorable for the spread of vectors, local conditions in the countries bordering the northeast of Argentina”.
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