El Salvador - Health Ministry reports 46 suspected cases of Guillain Barre syndrome, related to Zika Virus - Two deaths investigated

[Gert van der Hoek]

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Health Ministry detected an unusual increase in cases with neurological syndromes in hospitals since December 2015.

The Ministry of Health (Health Ministry) reported yesterday that the Medical Audit Committee investigates if two patients died from the Guillain-Barre syndrome may be associated with the Zika virus, transmitted by the mosquito.


"In the coming days will be establishing the accurate diagnosis of these two people who have died," said the director of the Health Ministry of Health Surveillance, Rolando Masis.

The Health Ministry reported that since December last year opened an investigation and detected an unusual increase in cases with neurological syndromes, that after the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) alerted two deaths in Brazil.

The same alert reported an increase of congenital anomalies, Guillain-Barre syndrome and microcephaly, in areas where circulates zika.

In the study it was found that the Health Ministry of 22 suspected cases of the syndrome, 54% (12 cases) had febrile diseases, between seven and 15 days before the neurological symptoms. And until Wednesday January 6 at noon and 46 suspected cases in people over 35 years with the syndrome, 24 in the Social Security hospital Rosales 20 were recorded and two in the hospital of San Miguel.

It was noted that there were a total of 172 cases with eight deaths syndrome in 2014. In 2015, 147 suspects were killed and 13. Health confirmed circulation zika the November 25, 2015.


Friday 8 January 2016 | 12:04

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Health Ministry detects 46 suspected cases of Guillain Barre syndrome


Thursday 7 January 2016

A total of 46 suspected cases of Guillain Barre syndrome have been reported in the National Health System, during the period from December 2015 until last January 6 as indicated authorities of the Ministry of Health (Health Ministry) at a press conference Wednesday .
Of all the suspects, 24 cases were reported in the Salvadoran Social Security Institute (ISSS), 20 in the Rosales Hospital and 22 at the Hospital of San Miguel; of these, 25 were males and 35 have an age of over 30 years.

To date, two people have died under conditions related to Guillain Barre syndrome, however, to be related to a previous disease transmitted by the mosquito, their medical records were sent to an institution specializing in epidemics to establish an accurate diagnosis the following days.
These data are based on research that was conducted in the last weeks of December with experts and included the ISSS and the Ministry of Health, in which a cluster of 22 suspected cases of the syndrome in late 2015 found.

At that time, 54% had prior disease between seven and 15 days before the clinical picture. In addition, 81% of the cases were male and the total affected population age hovered between 20 and 51 years. The departments most affected San Salvador and La Libertad, specifically in 23 municipalities.