While grappling with a huge wave of cases of Denguein a 2024 marked in the Americas by numbers three times higher than the same period in 2023, Argentina is also facing a shortage of anti-mosquito repellents, which are crucial for preventing the infection that carries these insects as vectors. A vaccine against Dengue has been developed, but its spread is still in its early stages and most people living in the areas most affected by the virus must rely on preventative measures such as protecting themselves from mosquito bites.
Residents, according to what the 'Bbc' online reports, report that it is almost impossible to buy repellent. Many supermarkets and pharmacies have posted signs saying 'no repellent' and in the few places where it is still available, especially online, resale prices are astronomical. The government has attributed the problem to a 'bottleneck' which will be corrected in the coming days. But many citizens, especially in the capital Buenos Aires, are afraid at a time when hundreds of thousands of Argentines have already been infected. The country's Health Ministry said Saturday that Argentina has reported so far 163,419 cases of Dengue fever in 2024 and that deaths were recorded across all age groups, with the highest death rate among people aged over 80. The repellent shortage began in March.
Sources at one of the companies that produce repellents in the country told 'BBC Mundo' that the shortage was due to a forecasting error and that the product took months to produce. Health Minister Mario Russo told 'Radio Continenta'l that it is a “problem between supply and demand”. It happens in a period in which the virus has circulated intensely in South America with record figures in the first 3 months of this year, as communicated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Dengue cases in the Americas, the agency reports, have increased threefold compared to the same period in 2023. Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay were the hardest hit countries, in what Paho officials described as the potentially worst outbreak in the Americas to this day. These three countries accounted for 98% of all cases and 87% of deaths due to the virus. Regional health authorities have recorded more than 3.5 million cases and a thousand deaths. According to the UN agency, global warming and El Nino are contributing to the worst season ever seen by the virus.
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