Human influenza begins to decline in South America
Flu alert - Saturday 22 August (12:00 hrs)
The disease has killed about 224 thousand
Brazil this week became the most affected country in the region
El Financiero en l?nea
Santiago, August 22 .- The epidemic of human influenza that has killed about 224 thousand people in South America, entered into a process of decline, although the occurrence of an outbreak at two poultry farms in Chile reintroduced the uncertainty in the region.
One month after the end of winter and early spring in the southern hemisphere, the progression of cases appears to have peaked and begun to decline in most South American countries, none of which escaped the contagion.
Brazil, a country that has made a rapid progression of the disease, this week became the most affected in the region, recording a total of 487 people killed by the disease.
According to reports from the various states, Sao Paulo has the highest number of fatalities with 179, followed by Paran? (142) and Rio Grande do Sul (93).
In Argentina, the death toll rose to 404, said Health Minister, Juan Manzur, adding that the virus is in "free fall", although the epidemic will continue "for a while longer."
"It is certified that Argentina has passed the peak of cases of influenza A," the minister said Friday, adding that the country is in "phase of mitigation."
In Chile, where at least 116 people have died of human influenza, the number of confirmed cases by the Health Ministry this week amounted to 12 thousand 175 but the presence of virus in two turkey farms increased the national alert.
The Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) announced Thursday that the outbreak of human influenza was detected in an undetermined number of turkey breeders at two farms located in the Valpara?so region, but ruled that there is danger of infection from eating meat.
He indicated that the human influenza virus is not present in any other Chilean poultry flock and the two affected farms are in quarantine and under surveillance.
The Peruvian Ministry of Health reported that to date 62 people have died and six thousand 121 have been infected with the virus of human influenza A/H1N1, of which 742 have been five thousand discharged.
He explained that so far only 378 people have ongoing disease in the regions of Lima, Callao, Huanuco, Cusco, La Libertad and Arequipa, and the intensity of novel influenza is moderately low in 15 departments and nine.
Paraguay's Health Ministry reported Thursday the human influenza has killed 41 people, including 25 pregnant women, and at least 472 have contracted the disease.
The Director of Health Surveillance, Ministry of Health, Ivan Allende said four thousand 600 cases listed as suspects, while in Asuncion, the capital, cases fell by 8.0 percent and consultations by 50 percent.
Uruguay's Public Health Minister Maria Julia Mu?oz, on Friday confirmed two new human deaths from influenza, bringing the death toll rose to 32.
The cause of death is pneumonia, "he said, but are patients who contracted the H1N1 virus with subsequent respiratory complications, said.
In Colombia, the Minister of Social Protection, Diego Palacio, said Friday it is difficult to establish with certainty the number of patients with human influenza, because several of them were not officially reported to health authorities.
He said that "at present there is only diagnosed in the register 367 laboratory-confirmed patients and 23 people killed by the virus, which spreads throughout the world.
Ecuador also recorded 23 deaths due to the pandemic and infected more than 700, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health, which otherwise has stopped issuing daily reports, as when he shot the disease.
In Bolivia, where the number of fatalities rose to 19 this week, authorities in Santa Cruz ordered the arrest of two school principals do not obey the order to suspend classes for a period of 10 days to prevent the spread of the epidemic .
In Venezuela, the Minister of Health and Social Development, Carlos Rotondaro reported that the number of registered cases of human influenza in the country amounts to 633, 473 of whom have been discharged, while totaling 17 fatalities across the country. (Con informaci?n de Notimex / JOT)
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