More than 40,000 cases of dengue infection detected in Argentina

Since the beginning of 2023, more than 40,000 cases of dengue infection have been detected in Argentina. This is stated in the message of the Ministry of HEALTH of the country.

“By the 14th epidemiological week of 2023, 41,257 cases of dengue were registered in the country, 37,914 of them were infected in Argentina,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to the Ministry of Health, the circulation of the virus has been detected, in particular, in Buenos Aires and Santiago del Estero. Also noted is the circulation of the chikungunya virus, which is transmitted by mosquito bites and is characterized by sudden fever with a temperature of 40 degrees, accompanied by joint pain, nausea and rash. Since the beginning of the year, 1092 cases have been identified, of which 647 occurred within the country.

The number of deaths from the virus is not specified, but on April 5, the El Pais newspaper wrote that at the time of the recorded 16 thousand cases, there were 13 deaths. At the same time, the number of cases of dengue fever in 2023 is higher than in 2022 and 2021 for the same period. This is attributed to the rains, which led to the rapid spread of mosquitoes, while 2022 and 2021 were dry years. The Argentine authorities fear that the situation is close to an epidemic, as outbreaks of the disease are similar to those in 2009 and 2016.

Dengue fever is an acute viral disease that occurs with intoxication, rash, swollen lymph nodes and high fever. In a small number of cases, the disease can become severe, leading to bleeding and a drop in blood pressure to dangerously low values.

In early March, three residents of Krasnoyarsk fell ill with dengue fever after a holiday in Thailand. Among them is a one-year-old child. Five cases of dengue have been reported in the region since the beginning of the year, all from Thailand.