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Death causes equine alert north of Valley
By: EDITORIAL ElTiempo.com | 9:13 a.m. | April 16, 2012
Contingency Plan adopted because of the death was caused by equine encephalitis.
On the death of a horse without symptoms in the town of Zarzal, and confirmed it was due to equine encephalitis, the authorities of Valle del Cauca activated contingency plan to prevent further cases.
The specimen horse died Friday April 13 and the next day the Health Secretary Jaime Mosquera Borja, was present.
"The equine encephalitis, a viral disease transmitted by vectors, and spread similar to malaria or dengue, usually occurring in animals and humans can reach, with symptoms of fever, frontal headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and if untreated, can cause meningitis or encephalitis, "says the official report.
In the municipality of Obando had already filed a case of this disease and got control. In Zarzal held an emergency plan to prevent its spread formed by the Ministry of Health department, Sanitation Implementation Unit (ESU), the Hospital San Rafael de Zarzal, City Hall and the ICA.
"It is a joint effort that begins with a census of the 402 horses in the area, searching for asymptomatic cases may exist around the area, the elimination of breeding sites by fumigation, and above all cases be sought this disease in humans and to control, as in Obando, equine encephalitis, and to give the community a part of this area of tranquility, "said the Secretary.
The recommendation is that those around foci of infection consult with health professionals, continually hydrate and foremost, not self-medicate, as this disease, if not discovered and treated in a timely manner, can reach the transmission between humans and lead to death.
"We fumigation activities, active breeding sites, deliver mosquito nets, repellents, we will support the municipality with regard to the census to avoid having spread among the inhabitants of the municipality of Zarzal," said the director of the UES of Valle del Cauca, Leonardo Vidal.