Dengue in the City of BA

If I can help some one in this group, I´m happy as I´ve gotten a lot of help from you people.
 
9 Sept 2024
The CABA gov't announced the purchase of 60 thousand vaccines against dengue: who and when will be able to get an appointment. During 2024, according to the latest Epidemiological Bulletin of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, between weeks 1 and 34,764,901 cases were reported throughout the country, with 56,435 of them in the City of BA.

Starting on September 18, the Ministry of Health of CABA will enable the allocation of appointments through its website. The vaccination plan will be carried out progressively for all persons between the ages of 15 and 39 years old and in different stages, following national guidelines. The process will begin with adolescents aged 15 to 19, and then continue with those age 20 to 29. Finally, it will be the turn of adults aged 30 to 39. Twelve vaccination centers will be set up in various neighborhoods of the City, which will include hospitals, CeSACS (Community Health and Action Centers) and extra-hospital posts....

As reported by Infobae, the vaccine available in Argentina - and authorized by ANMAT in 2023 - is the Qdenga ® vaccine from the Japanese Takeda Laboratory, which in clinical studies showed an 84% reduction in hospitalizations and a 61% decrease in symptomatic cases after the application of two doses. The vaccine is tetravalent and is administered in two doses of 0.5 ml that must be applied with an interval of 3 months. It provides protection against the four serotypes of dengue and is intended for persons over 4 years of age (and without age limit)
who have or have not had the infection. It is contraindicated in pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding and in patients with immunocompromised.

Regarding the comprehensive dengue prevention campaign in the Capital, Infobae spoke with the head of the City of BA gov't, Jorge Macri, and the Minister of Health of the City, Fernán Quirós....The annual plan was developed in four phases: from July to September; from October to December; January; and from February to June. Each of these stages has specific actions that target different aspects of dengue prevention and control....

....The fourth and final stage of the campaign will take place between February and June, coinciding with the time of greatest circulation of the virus. During this phase, epidemiological control measures will be intensified and the public health system's care network will be deployed to deal with the situation. During this period, four new day hospitals will be established in acute care hospitals, and hydration points will be strengthened in CeSACs. These units will allow for more than 3,000 consultations per day, according to reports....Efforts will also be directed at preparing the public health system for a rapid and effective response when there are more cases of dengue. The 18 existing fever units will be joined by new day hospitals, which will be operational during the summer, the period of greatest circulation of the virus....
 
Follow-up from the article posted by Infobae on 9 Sept:

10 Sept 2024....As stated in the joint press conference: the Head of Gov't of BA, Jorge Macri, stressed that in addition to immunization, it is essential to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds at homes to reduce the magnitude of the outbreak. Appointments for doses will be available starting Wednesday, Sept 18...The City's Minister of Health, Dr. Hernan Quirós who is a reference in infectious diseases explained why those over 60 years of age are not included in this stage. He stated that the current dengue vaccine “has been in use for a little less than two years” in the real world and “there is still a lack of scientific information to answer some questions” and clarified that more research is needed to establish recommendations for older adults.

This means that although the vaccine is safe and effective, further studies are still needed in the age group over 60 years of age to have more details In the meantime, Quirós added, “the recommendations of the PAHO, WHO and the Immunization Commission will be followed, focusing on the groups that transmit the disease the most about the immune response it generates". “Having vaccines this year, which we did not have last year, does not solve the disease or the possibility of an outbreak, but it helps, accompanies, limits and allows us to fight, but the commitment of each and every one of the residents is essential,”

Dr. Quirós took advantage of the conference to clarify the widespread belief that, in all cases, the second dengue infection is more serious than the first: “Another widely spread concept, which is easily repeated, is that the second case of dengue is much more serious than the first, and this information is not entirely accurate. There is some evidence that, after the first infection, the severity levels instead of 0.1% reach 0.2% or 0.3%, but this is still under discussion in the literature.”

Dr. Quiros emphasized that the real increase in the severity of cases in people who have already had dengue is “extremely rare", which is
why he described there is a “disproportionate concern” that does not correspond to reality, especially considering the concern of those who
have already had dengue and are very afraid of a second infection. He stressed that, in most cases, the second episode of infection will be very similar to the first : “Although many have had fever and malaise, we are talking about serious conditions, severe morbidity or mortality, which is extremely rare when the disease is well cared for and treated.”

Strategies to address the increase in consultations. Health authorities have reinforced the capacity of the entire public health system to deal with a possible increase in consultations due to dengue. The city's hospitals are prepared to handle more than 3,000 consultations per day.
In addition to the 18 fever care units operating in the 14 general acute care hospitals, the two pediatric hospitals, the Muñiz Hospital and the Ferrer Hospital, there are 4 new day hospitals that will be able to handle more than 3,000 consultations a day in the summer, the period of greatest circulation of the virus.

At the same time, residents are encouraged to report mosquito breeding sites. They can do so by calling 147, using BOTI (11 5050-0147) or through the “Report breeding site” link on the official website. During the last outbreak, the City of BA was the only district in the country that decided to test all residents who presented symptoms and carried out more than 65 thousand tests to detect cases of dengue.
 
20 August 2024
What will be the operation in the City of BA that seeks to find out how many residents of the City have contracted dengue? Between August and October, health professionals will visit 6,000 randomly selected homes to carry out rapid tests to detect the presence of antibodies and proteins of the virus. According to the latest data issued by the National Ministry of Health, up to Epidemiological Week 32 of 2024
(until July 10), 564,144 cases of dengue have been reported throughout the country, with a cumulative incidence of 1,199 infections
per 100,000 inhabitants. Of the total number of people affected nationwide, 56,078 are in the City of BA.

Given this situation, the Institute of Statistics and Census of the City of BA (IDECBA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the City, will carry out the second phase of the Dengue Seroprevalence Study between August and October. According to a statement, "the operation aims to estimate what percentage of the population over 18 years of age residing in the City has dengue or has had it at some point in their life."

The ministry headed by Fernán Quirós also indicated that the study will be carried out by a team of health professionals, including nurses
and awareness-raisers, who will visit 6,000 randomly selected homes. In each home, a rapid test will be carried out on an adult member,
with their prior informed consent, selected from the household. A blood sample will be taken by finger prick and the result obtained simultaneously. It allows the identification of IgG and IgM antibodies and the NS1 protein of the dengue virus. In addition to the testing, a brief survey will be administered to collect information on the participant's health history, possible previous dengue infections, recent symptoms, and data on vaccination against dengue and yellow fever. As well as the educational level, health history, and knowledge about dengue. The person selected for the test will be asked the sex and age of all residents in the home and the data will be recorded. “All information will be treated with absolute confidentiality and will be used solely for epidemiological purposes,” stressed the City of BA health Minister.

Home visits will take place Monday through Saturday between 10:00 and 17:00, from August 15 to October 31. Before each visit, "IDECBA sends a participation notice to the selected addresses explaining what the study is about and how it is carried out", while on the Institute's website "the identity of the awareness-raisers and the nurses can be verified". "The information is also available on BOTI (the City's chatBot) and through Line #147". The BA Institute indicated that "the data obtained, once compiled, processed and analyzed, are made known in our Data Bank and published on the Institute's website."


I am one of the City residents who was selected at random. On Saturday received the letter from the Institute of Statistics and Census of
the City of BA (IDECBA) asking if I would volunteer to participate in the Dengue Seroprevalence Study. I have yet to call to schedule a day
and time that's convenient for me.
 
15 Sept 2024 by Ariel Bogdanov
Dengue vaccine: studies claim that a single dose would generate good immunization...A study published in Science Direct, one of the most prestigious scientific publications in the world, provided new data on the Qdenga vaccine, more specifically on its efficacy with a single dose. This new exploratory analysis carried out on a total of 13,380 participants concluded that those who had received a single dose of the TAK-003 vaccine developed high percentages of efficacy (82.1%) against the disease, starting from 14 days.

A study published in Science Direct, one of the most prestigious scientific publications in the world, provided new data on the Qdenga vaccine, more specifically on its efficacy with a single dose. This new exploratory analysis carried out on a total of 13,380 participants concluded that those who had received a single dose of the TAK-003 vaccine developed high percentages of efficacy (82.1%) against the disease, after 14 days.

Why is this important data? Specialists explain that, in principle, because the vaccine developed by the Takeda Laboratory could be implemented in the context of serious outbreaks of dengue, generating an immunological response more or less soon in time, in the population. In addition, it could be used in travelers who must visit territories with a high number of cases and also for those people who do not have the funds to buy the two doses. Daniela Hozbor, doctor in biochemical sciences, researcher and professor at the National University of La Plata, and member of the National Immunization Commission (Conain) pointed out that this new data "opens up a range of possibilities."....
 
19 Sept 2024
Comprehensive Dengue Prevention Plan: when does vaccination begin in the City?
Appointments will be available starting Wednesday, September 25, on the website of the Ministry of Health of the GCBA. ....This first stage
will be aimed at adolescents between 15 and 19 years old who reside in the City of Buenos Aires. Later, appointments will be made available
for young people aged 20 to 29 and adults aged 30 to 39.

Appointments can be requested by accessing the website: buenosaires.gob.ar/dengue.

On Monday, September 30, the application of the vaccine will begin....It is mandatory to bring an identity document proving residence in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and the online appointment assignment. It is not necessary to come with a medical prescription.
The vaccination centers where the dengue vaccine will be applied are distributed in different communes:
CeSac 11 - Commune 3
Rivadavia Hospital - Commune 2
CeSac 1 - Commune 4
Durand Hospital - Commune 6
CeSac 3 - Commune 8
CeSac 37 - Commune 9
Corralón Floresta (extra-hospital post) - Commune 10
Pirovano Hospital - Commune 12
Islamic Center (Extra-hospital post) - Commune 14
 
19 Sept 2024
We currently have the Qdenga® brand Dengue vaccine available in all our centers. Due to the increased demand for this vaccine, we have temporarily limited the supply, so each branch has a daily supply of these vaccines.

The cost of the Dengue vaccine is $94,456.76 per dose. Cost may be subject to change without notice. The agreed discount is applied to
this amount according to your insurance medical coverage. You can pay in 3 interest-free installments through Mercado Pago. For private
patients we offer a 20% discount when paying in cash, credit or debit card.

What do you need to bring to get vaccinated?
1. Vaccination booklet (if you have one).
2. Insurance card (if you have vaccination coverage thru your plan). You can submit a photocopy or an image through your device.
3. DNI. Mandatory. You can submit a photocopy or an image through your device.
4. Physical or digital medical order according to medical coverage requirements.

Vaccination Centers in CABA:

 
5 October 2024 by Victor Ingrassia
Dengue mosquito mutations that make it resistant to insecticides....One of the tools that governments have at their disposal to control a dengue outbreak is fumigation. In addition to encouraging campaigns to promote the removal of containers that contain water for breeding eggs or promoting vaccination and the use of repellents, during an epidemic, fumigation becomes inevitable. But in recent years, scientists have detected that the latest fumigations have not been providing effective results in terms of eliminating the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector that transmits the viral disease.

This was announced by researchers from the Insect Neurobiology Laboratory, which is part of the Faculty of Exact Sciences (CREG) and Medical Sciences (CENEXA), both at the National University of La Plata (UNLP). Experts have just published a scientific paper in preprint that warns that 5 years ago there was a genetic mutation in Aedes aegypti that made them resistant to insecticides and that in 2023 new research found three mutations in total, giving the insect almost total resistance to the toxins used in fumigations. The particular thing about this discovery is that these mutations, which were previously found in mosquitoes from other regions or countries, are now present in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires (AMBA)....

The specialists warn in their work that in the context of a very probable dengue epidemic in the next summer season, this worrying finding alerts about the effectiveness of fumigation in controlling outbreaks of the disease....Three of these mutations have been reported in the Americas – specifically in Brazil, the United States, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela. Until a year ago, however, the presence of these mutations had not been documented in Argentina....But the dengue situation in the region has worsened significantly since 2018, surpassing all historical records in 2023. Since then, the Insect Neurobiology Laboratory has focused on collecting and studying mosquitoes from the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires and the city of Pergamino. In this second work, and unlike what happened with the mosquitoes of 2018, they found that the two mutations that make them resistant are already present throughout the area, except in Pergamino. They also found that the third mutation that confers resistance is also present in the Province of BA....The scientists' work to test the resistance of these dengue mosquitoes to fumigation considered the hypothesis that repeated fumigations were the cause of the greater presence of mutations....

....Sheila Ons, a biologist graduated from the UBA, and with a doctorate from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, was very clear in her recommendation to combat the dengue vector mosquito: “Following the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the ideal is to carry out comprehensive management, using other strategies before resorting to insecticides. De-cluttering, which leaves the mosquito without breeding grounds, is essential. The use of repellents and long clothing is also essential. Fumigations should be reserved only as a way of controlling outbreaks, and not done during the entire mosquito season. In addition to avoiding the environmental impact that this entails, this helps us to ensure that populations are not resistant, so that we have an effective measure in the event of an emergency being declared.”
 
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