CIENFUEGOS, Cuba, www.cubanet.org – The first case of infection was discovered last August 8 in the peripheral district of San Lazaro and although at the beginning epidemiologists thought that the virus could have been transferred from the city by Havana by Juan Arbolay Águila, who works as a driver in the port of Mariel, studies could not prove it, arousing suspicion among the specialists that it could be endemic form of cholera.
This August 16, a week later, we have verified that evil has spread to the districts of Reina and La Juanita, the latter the most populous neighborhood in the city. Reina presents a complex situation with the network of sewers and the water supply, many nearly a century old, causing contamination of water consumed and wastewater leaks into the road, both of which often facilitate viral infection.
In La Juanita the “Sunshine Cuba” State snack bar on Gloria Street was closed. Cubanet learned through one of the workers there that one of the cases in the area was reported in a kitchen worker there.
Reports broadcast on Radio Martí by independent journalist Arévalo Padrón reported that in the city of Aguadas de Pasajero at least five infections have been reported. Cubanet has not been able to verify this.
The perception of risk is still very low in the population as the government media have reported nothing, limiting its actions to disseminating prophylactic messages about maintaining sanitary measures to avoid what they call acute diarrheal diseases.
19 August 2013
