Measures adopted to combat and prevent illnesses spread by Aedes aegypti and albopictus mosquitoes were evaluated by the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) and provincial authorities via a video-conference.
According to information presented by Dr. José Ángel Portal Miranda, Minsap first deputy minister, no cases of the Zika infection have been identified in the country, and thus far this year no cases of Chikungunya, although the transmission of dengue has been detected in 12 provinces and 42 municipalities, with the addition of Nueva Paz in Mayabeque, and the town of Venezuela, in Ciego de Ávila, the last week of February.
Reports indicated that the rate of suspected dengue infection has diminished recently and that provinces experiencing the highest levels of contagion are currently Santiago de Cuba, Ciego de Ávila, Las Tunas, Artemisa and Havana; while active monitoring revealed the highest rates of unidentified fevers in Artemisa, Mayabeque, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus and Villa Clara, Portal Miranda said.
Closed dwellings have frustrated some fumigation efforts and National Assembly President Esteban Lazo Hernández called on community organizations to assist sanitation personnel.
Carlos Rafael Miranda, national coordinator of Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, reported that 31,262 neighborhood hearings on the issue were held February 26, in conjunction with the Federation of Cuban Women.
Public Health Minister Morales Ojeda insisted that while efforts are advancing, plans must be meticulously implemented, and accurate information on the epidemiological situation gathered.
Also participating were Army Corps General Leopoldo Cintra Frías, minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and Political Bureau member; Division General Ramón Pardo Guerra, head of the Civil Defense General Staff; and other authorities.
