Re: Puerto Rico: Dengue above epidemic threshold - 31 fatalities
Re: Puerto Rico: Dengue above epidemic threshold - 31 fatalities
Spanish to English translation
Ends dengue epidemic in Puerto Rico
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Updated 4 hours ago
(Set up 2:43 p.m.)
Primera Hora
The Health Department said today the end of the dengue epidemic in Puerto Rico that took the death of 31 people in 2010.
"Today we are pleased to report that we closed the dengue epidemic that decree in February this year," said the secretary of the Department of Health, Lorenzo Gonz?lez Feliciano, by press release.
"We are confident that the new year 2011 will not be charged for the life of another brother or sister in Puerto Rico," he added.
Said it took two consecutive weeks of cases below the epidemic threshold for completing the epidemic, what happened, according to the updated report received today at the agency.
According to the document Dengue Division of the Center for Disease Control (CDC, for its acronym in English) during week 49, from 3 to 9 December, 188 cases were notified, 60 below epidemic levels.
In the course of 2010 have confirmed 31 deaths from dengue and dengue hemorrhagic 28 people bought the most severe form of the disease.
The Health Department met with key people at the end of January this year to establish an interagency committee composed of federal agencies, state and municipal governments and other groups to establish a work plan prior to having to declare dengue epidemic in late February this year.
"The way we work this epidemic was to find effective ways based on science and objectivity to eradicate the high incidence and weighted to an epidemiological analysis in the process of establishing patterns," Gonzalez said Feliciano.
"Accordingly, we evaluated the records of those affected and died, age groups at risk, impact on municipalities and other tools that have guided us in this process. Evaluate what worked or not on the road and made the appropriate adjustments. The important thing is that the decisions we make in the march paid off, "he added.
Feliciano Gonzalez said that, for the first time tissue of deceased persons with suspected dengue but with negative laboratory were sent to CDC in Atlanta to confirm the disease. This award could be detected and mortality due to dengue cases in the past were not clarified.
"It is interesting that in the past these tests were sent for tissue confirmation. We took the initiative and found that in the past years, many people may have died from dengue. However, his family never knew the cause of death by not having this resource available as they have today, "he said.
He recalled that to eradicate the H1N1 virus infections last year, which killed over 50 people, took a similar analysis at the Department in terms of those strategies were effective or not to deal with situations public health emergency affecting citizens in Puerto Rico.
"We must take this type of situation an open mind. To achieve this, we must evaluate what failed in the past and recognize what could be the difference. We made compulsory that all medical personnel dealing directly with patients take three credits of continuing medical education in the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of dengue. Citizen cooperation was key to bringing the message of prevention and personal protection, as happened with the novel virus last year. The important thing here is to unite as a people to avoid tragedies in medical situations that are preventable, "said Gonz?lez Feliciano.
Still, he said that to continue seeing a drop consisting of dengue cases, "it is our duty to continue with basic preventive measures such as checking daily around our homes and workplaces and to identify potential mosquito breeding sites, use repellent in areas of skin to be outdoors, especially our children, spraying to the extent possible within our homes, use screens on doors and windows for infants, the use of bednets in cribs and cars, "he concluded.
http://www.primerahora.com/terminaepidemiadedengueenpuertorico-457504.html
