BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Argentine government Thursday launched
an intensive campaign against dengue, Argentine Health Minister Gines Gonzalez
Garcia said.
In a press conference Gonzalez presented new equipment and specific actions
to avoid the spreading of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, the insect that transmits
the illness, especially in northern Argentine high-risk zones.
Actions listed by Argentina's Health Ministry include the epidemic's focal
treatment, the elimination of mosquito breeding and organizing health equipment
in dengue-risk areas in the provinces of Formosa, Corrientes, Misiones, Chaco,
Salta and Jujuy Tucuman.
"Dengue has come to stay, it is impossible to believe that this problem can
be solved in one day or in the following year since the mosquito has shown its
capability of adapting to changes," Gonzalez said.
There have been 173 native dengue cases and 236 foreign cases registered in
Argentina in 2007, Gonzalez said.
New cases have not been reported since May, probably due to the low
temperatures, but "it is necessary to reinforce" the controls because "dengue is
clearly a world epidemic," Gonzalez added.
"We can not stop working, it is an epidemic. Brazil has 500,000cases,
although we do not have any since May but that does not mean we can stop working
in each one of the provinces and municipalities, especially in the north where
they are at risk," Gonzalez said.
