By Francisco Acevedo
HAVANA TIMES – The Oropouche virus, the new mosquito-borne disease variant, continues to spread uncontrollably in Cuba, with numbers appearing significantly higher than officially recognized.
It is now acknowledged that the virus is present on the island, but the authorities are downplaying the situation, even as half the country is suffering from it.
According to the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), nine provinces (Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba, Matanzas, Mayabeque, Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila, Holguín, and Guantanamo) and 23 municipalities are currently affected.
Primarily in suburban and rural areas, said Dr. Francisco Duran, the national director of Epidemiology at MINSAP, in a recent press conference. Duran is well-remembered as the official voice during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The truth is that this illness, with symptoms of fever, headaches, general discomfort, joint pain, and even vomiting and diarrhea are very similar to dengue, continues to gain ground in Cuba. According to Durán, the incidence rate of suspected dengue cases has significantly increased in recent weeks, especially in the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud and the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Ciego de Avila, Holguín, and Cienfuegos.
In other words, two more territories (Isla de la Juventud and Camagüey) can be added to the list of nine, making it 11 out of the 14 provinces affected — nearly all of Cuba.
The difference with dengue is that the new symptoms last around 72 hours instead of two weeks like dengue, which can be fatal. They also differ in that the dengue-transmitting agent is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, while Oropouche fever is transmitted by Culex mosquitoes and d
