Health authorities call for increased prevention measures amid arbovirus outbreak
- Written by Lourdes Pichs Rodríguez
- Published in Health
- Hits: 81
The province of Holguín has called for increased prevention measures amid a rise in arboviral diseases, particularly dengue, due to the presence of Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding sites.
Health authorities are working to eliminate these foci and interrupt transmission, an effort that requires a multisectoral approach and active community participation.
Infestation problems are mainly localized in specific blocks and well-defined areas, both in Holguín municipality and other territories across the province, according to Dr. Geanela Cruz Ávila, director of the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology.
She explained that during this time of year, the risk of arboviral diseases increases due to rising temperatures and more frequent rainfall, conditions that accelerate the mosquito's reproductive cycle.
A key factor in the vector's proliferation is the failure to comply with basic prevention measures in households, such as leaving water tanks uncovered, which creates ideal breeding habitats for Aedes aegypti.
The specialist detailed that, given this complex environmental scenario, it is necessary to curb infestation during the current month through the collaboration of health workers, vector surveillance and control teams, other supporting sectors, and the general population.
To reinforce these efforts, the province received 50 new high-efficiency fogging machines donated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which will enable coverage across all 14 municipalities using a more effective adulticidal technique.
These machines feature an attachment for emulsifying insecticide with water, replacing the diesel traditionally used, thereby contributing to vector control with reduced environmental contamination and improved operational advantages inside homes.
The use of water mixed with insecticide is not new in Cuba, as the Ministry of Public Health has been developing an entomology research project for two years that has demonstrated adequate effectiveness in vector control.
This technique, along with household-level source reduction (autofocal familiar) and other specific actions, is essential to prevent new mosquito breeding sites and reduce arboviral transmission, which causes significant harm in the province and throughout the country.
