[ad_1]
Peru’s health ministry said Friday that a diphtheria outbreak in the South American country had been kept under control, indicating it was a minor outbreak.
Health authorities launched a nationwide epidemiological alert late last month after detecting the country’s first case of fatal disease in 20 years.
“So far, the investigation and control allow us to say that no additional cases have been identified with respect to the family outbreak,” Deputy Health Minister Luis Suarez told a press conference.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease affecting primarily the nose and throat but sometimes the skin as well.
Five cases of the disease have come to light in the La Victoria area of the capital Lima.
Two of the victims died, including a five-year-old girl who had been vaccinated at birth but never received scheduled follow-up vaccinations that would have immunized her for a decade.
The second victim, a 69-year-old woman, died on Wednesday, but health authorities said it was not contagious.
An emergency vaccination campaign in the area where the child lived allowed 7,000 people to receive vaccinations, the ministry said.
“We hope that with the vaccination of the 7,000 people, the La Victoria epidemic will be contained,” said Suarez.
“There is no reason to generate a national alarm, nor is there a need to have a specific diphtheria vaccination day at this time,” he said.
However, Peru is planning vaccinations against five diseases this weekend, to resume a campaign suspended by the coronavirus pandemic. Vaccines include diphtheria and influenza vaccines.
The World Health Organization warned several months ago that the coronavirus pandemic has had a “devastating impact” on health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, where many health services have been overwhelmed and unable to properly care for people with others. diseases and problems.
Peru has recorded over 900,000 cases of Covid-19 and more than 34,700 deaths, although its daily infection and death rates have steadily declined over the past two months.
Source link
