In Cuba, 35,000 cases were recorded in the first half of the year throughout the 15 provinces of the Island
14ymedio, Havana, 25 August 2024 — Authorities in Cuba, Brazil and Colombia are concerned about the outbreak of the Oropouche virus, a disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes and that, for the first time, has caused two deaths in Brazil. In other countries in the region, where there are still no data on patients with the virus, actions are being taken to prevent its proliferation.
In Cuba, cases have increased “considerably” since the first positives were confirmed on May 27, in the province of Santiago de Cuba, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). Reaching 35,000 cases in the first half of the year, as the authorities let slip during a television program last July.
Since then, according to the authorities, the cases have spread to the 15 provinces of the Island, and the sick already exceed 400, according to the officially recognized figures. The disease is present in all the provinces, and there are hundreds of complaints on social networks about people with symptoms. The Government describes the epidemiological situation as “complex” due to the simultaneous circulation of this pathogen with others, such as influenza and dengue fever.
The presence of the virus in the streets of Havana was revealed by 14ymedio, at the beginning of June, despite the silence of the authorities about the number of cases and the discomfort of the population. At the end of that same month, this newspaper reported the presence of Oropouche in 13 of the 15 provinces of the Island, which at that time contrasted with the Public Health data that officially counted only nine.
In Cuba, the Government describes the epidemiological situation as ‘complex’ and warns of the simultaneous circulation