Dengue epidemic downgraded to health alert
THE DENGUE epidemic in Panama is officially over but has been replaced with a health “alert” with authorities still concerned over lack of public response to the campaign to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
They also warn of a threat from another debilitating illness, the Chikungunya virus, carried by the same mosquito that transmits dengue, aedes aegypti.
Dengue was declared an epidemic on December 13.
The National Director of Health, Carlos Galvez reported that until l April 30, 3,686 dengue cases, were recorded. That is 454 more than during the whole of 2013 when the figure reached 3,232.
Epidemiological reports, between the months of January and February recorded from 100 to 150 cases a day. In the last two months the number of cases fell to one or two a day.
However, dengue is not the only disease that keeps on MoH authorities on the alert, because there are reports of Chikungunya virus cases in the Dominican Republic and Guyana. "We expect that it can expand to the rest of the continent because the mosquito Aedes aegypti , is the same carrier.," said Galvez.
CHIKV (Chikungunya) causes an illness similar to dengue fever, with an acute febrile phase lasting two to five days, followed by a longer period of joint pains in the extremities. The pain associated with CHIKV infection of the joints may persist for weeks or months, or in some cases years. There is no specific treatment, with medications used to help with symptoms.[
Meanwhile, the director of the Metropolitan Health Region, Jorge Hassan, has expressed disappointment at the lack of cooperation of the community with campaigns to eliminate breeding sites of the dengue and Chikungunya virus vector transmitter, reports La Prensa.
Hassan said that despite the work of health officials, mosquito infestation in the metropolitan area is 0.4%, and San Miguelito, Las Cumbres and Resume at 2.9%.
The rate of infestation of an area must not exceed 4% (of 400 houses checked), because if it does there is a risk of an epidemic.
