HAVANA, August 28 (Amarilis Cortina Rey, Cuba-Verdad) - For the first time,
public health authorities acknowledged the existence of cases of dengue fever in
Havana.
Doctor Istven Hernández, director of the polyclinic in Managua, in
the Havana municipality of Arroyo Naranjo, authorized the crews working to
erradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquito to inform the population as to the
existence of an unknown number of cases of dengue. Dr. Hernández said
that it is necessary that the people know about the existence of the disease in
the area, and added that one youth already died as a result of the disease, but
gave no details about him.
Residents speculate Dr. Hernández could have been referring to a
young conscript in military unit 1011 who died last Wednesday, after a
four-month hospital stay.
There are also two cases of dengue in the "Comandante Pinares
Contingent," a camp housing construction workers.
In the La Lira district, also in Arroyo Naranjo, public health authorities
declared an "epidemiologic alert" because there are several patients
presenting all the symptoms of dengue.
Mosquito erradication workers said that, as part of the campaign, people in
whose homes mosquito breeding areas are found will be fined up to 1,500 pesos.
Yet residents pointed out that the sanitary authorities do not pick up the
garbage regularly or repair the network of supply and drain pipes who leak water
and lead to standing pools, where mosquito primarily breed.
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