Cuba: Chikungunya reported in several provinces

This past Friday, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported for the first time, two imported chikungunya cases on the island country; however, it appears that it may be worse than the PAHO reports. Hablemos Press report reported Friday (computer translated), doctors at the Vladimir Ilich Lenin University General Hospital, in the eastern province of Holguín, are reporting cases of chikungunya fever in several provinces including  Guantánamo, Granma, Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba, and in Havana.

Hospitals report that they have notified the Cuban health ministry. This has prompted the National Health System to secure a school building in Holguín for quarantining infected patients.

Although health authorities are asking for the public’s cooperation in destroying mosquito breeding sites, the report says that government health authorities are basically quiet on the subject.

The PAHO has reported a total of 135,427 confirmed and suspected cases in 17 countries in the Latin and non-Latin Caribbean. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page

Public domain photo/US Government