NewsDesk @bactiman63

According to the report of the General Directorate of Health Surveillance, in the last three epidemiological weeks (EW 10, 11 and 12 of the year 2023), 14,588 cases of chikungunya have been reported, of which 49% are in Asunción and Central , and 51% in the interior of the country, with Alto Paraná being one of the first departments with the highest amount of the disease.

“Alto Paraná worries us because, generally, in various regions, the level of notifications is not the same as Central and Capital. Less is reported, so if we are talking about this gap in notification, imagine the number of cases we are having”, remarked the general director of Health Surveillance, Dr. Guillermo Sequera.

In Central, the districts of San Lorenzo and Luque continue to be the epicenter, not only of chikungunya, but also of dengue, followed by Lambaré, Capiatá, Limpio, Mariano Roque Alonso, among others.

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“We are also having dengue in Central, few cases, but we have. The city that presents the most cases is Limpio, there were many cases of chikungunya in the area, several deaths and now they are already having dengue. What happens like this, mosquitoes persist. As long as the mosquito continues in our homes, we are going to have dengue, chikungunya and other diseases for a while. For this reason, we have to focus on eliminating mosquito breeding sites, ”he said.

In Asunción, no neighborhood is exempt from chikungunya, but those that lead the cases are San Pablo, Barrio Obrero and Sajonia, the latter with cases of dengue as well. 

In addition, he mentioned Villarrica and Encarnación as places with an increase in chikungunya cases and also dengue, a phenomenon that is occurring throughout the country.

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Dr. Sequera insisted that chikungunya disease does not cause reinfection. “There are family members in Amambay who had chikungunya in 2018 and others did not. With this epidemic, those who did not suffer from the disease that year are suffering from it now, so I dare say that immunity is prolonged, ”he explained.

In total, 70 people have died from chikungunya this year to date.