Dengue virus fever is one of the neglected tropical diseases as the main public health problem worldwide. It is an infection that is spread by the bite of the mosquito (Aedes aegypti), more common in tropical and subtropical climates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States estimate that about 400 million cases are diagnosed and more than 20,000 deaths from this disease each year. The transmission of dengue fever is very complex and is influenced by environmental temperature (heat), rainfall, and the degree of urbanization. Global and local climate not only influence the spatial distribution of infections, but also interannual variability. The rapid change in climatic factors in the last decade led to an increased risk of dengue outbreaks.
Dengue fever is typically mild, but can be fatal in certain cases. Cases increase in the rainy season. In 2022, several countries in the region registered increases in dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, above what was reported in 2021. In the first months of 2023, significant outbreaks of chikungunya and dengue were recorded in South America, especially in Peru and Argentina. Before the start of the season with the highest dengue transmission in Central America and the Caribbean, the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (PAHO and WHO) warn that the mosquitoes that transmit dengue are usually in peri-urban areas, They multiply in pools of water and in water accumulated in containers. Fumigations should be carried out regularly, particularly in industrial areas, with garbage, forest; campaigns to scrap containers or tanks with water that are breeding grounds for mosquitoes; use awnings, repellents, metal mesh on windows and doors. Trials of the quadrivalent vaccine (TAK-003) against dengue began in 2010, and in October the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued that the vaccine has efficacy studies in endemic places, certifying its positive impact. During four and a half years of study follow-up, analyzes showed that TAK-003 prevented 84% of dengue hospitalization cases, and 61% of symptomatic dengue cases in the general population, including seropositive individuals. and the seronegative. There was no worsening of the disease in those who received the vaccine, it was well tolerated, and no risks of significant side effects have been identified. (EITHER)
Jaime Galo Benites Solís, intensive care clinician, Guayaquil
2023-07-10 12:15:00
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