International
Ecuador registered 173 cases of dengue fever since the beginning of the year
February 3rd |
This year alone, Ecuador has already registered 173 cases of dengue fever in the localities that make up zone 8 of the country, composed of Guayaquil, Durán and Samborondón, according to the Ministry of Public Health.
The epidemiological report of the health portfolio indicates that there are 95 patients in Guayaquil and 78 in Durán, while in Samborondón there are still no cases of this disease. Health authorities have reported a slight increase compared to the same period last year, when 162 cases were registered. In total, during 2022, there were 2,600 patients with dengue fever in these three cities.
As part of the preventive and health work, brigades of the Ministry of Health travel through neighborhoods of Guayaquil to carry out evaluations of water reservoirs in homes that usually attract dengue mosquitoes.
During the rounds, health officials also check buckets, containers and other objects where water can stagnate.
The Ministry of Health has also enabled the reception of people who can attend the health centers and request a visit from the Ministry’s brigades to their neighborhoods.
In addition, as part of their work, they tested the water found in these reservoirs and found Aedes aegypti aquatic larvae, which are vectors of tropical diseases. This is a domestic mosquito, which lives in and near houses and breeds in any artificial or natural container containing water.
The dengue-transmitting mosquito lays its eggs in artificial containers containing water, mainly barrels and tires, which are in or around houses, schools or workplaces. Aedes aegypti eggs can withstand dry environmental conditions for more than a year. This is considered one of the most important strategies the species employs to survive and spread, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
To eliminate mosquitoes, PAHO recommends the following actions: avoid collecting water in outdoor containers (flower pots, bottles or other containers that can collect water) so that they do not become breeding sites for mosquitoes; adequately cover water tanks and reservoirs to keep mosquitoes away; avoid accumulating garbage; dispose of garbage in closed plastic bags.
Several residents of the neighborhoods of Guayaquil and Duran have testified that, due to the storm, the presence of mosquitoes increases, especially in areas with lots of vegetation such as parks, where water also accumulates.
According to PAHO, dengue is a disease transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and can affect people of all ages. Symptoms range from a mild fever to a disabling fever, as well as severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and erythema – reddening of the skin.
The disease may progress and become severe. In this state there is respiratory distress or severe organ damage.
Dengue, according to PAHO, has a seasonal behavior. In countries of the Southern hemisphere, most cases occur during the first half of the year, while in the Northern hemisphere, cases occur mostly in the second half of the year. This pattern of behavior corresponds to the warmest and rainiest months.
PAHO data indicate that around 500 million people in the Americas are at risk of contracting dengue. Aedes aegypti, which is the mosquito vector for dengue, is widely distributed throughout the territory, with the exception of Canada and continental Chile, which are dengue-free. In the case of Uruguay, although the mosquito is present, no cases of dengue fever have been reported.
International
Ombudsman confirms deaths of six minors in bombing targeting FARC dissidents
Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office reported on Saturday the deaths of six minors who had been recruited by guerrilla groups, killed during the deadliest airstrike ordered by President Gustavo Petro in an Amazonian region in the south of the country.
Amid pre-election criticism and pressure from the United States demanding stronger action against drug trafficking, Petro has intensified military operations against armed groups. Over the past week, a series of bombings have left 28 people dead.
The minors were killed in an airstrike announced on Tuesday against a camp belonging to dissident factions of the now-defunct FARC guerrilla in the department of Guaviare, resulting in 19 deaths—the largest operation of its kind under Petro’s administration.
“This is all deeply regrettable; it is war in its most painful and inhumane expression, harming the most vulnerable—minors recruited due to lack of protection and now turned into military targets,” said Ombudswoman Iris Marín in an audio message sent to the press, confirming the deaths of six minors without providing their ages.
Marín held the guerrilla group led by the country’s most-wanted man, alias Iván Mordisco, responsible for recruiting the children.
However, she also stressed that “the military forces must take every feasible precaution to protect children,” in accordance with international principles that require “careful evaluation of the means and methods of warfare to avoid disproportionate or unnecessary harm.”
International
Colombia reaches $4.5 billion deal to acquire 17 Gripen Fighter Jets from Saab
The Colombian government has finalized a negotiation agreement with the Swedish company Saab for the purchase of 17 SAP-39 Gripen fighter jets, valued at more than $4.5 billion, according to local media reports.
Colombian outlets indicated that payments are scheduled to begin in 2026, starting with an initial installment of 100 billion Colombian pesos. However, the aircraft will be delivered between 2027 and 2032, when the final jet is expected to arrive in Colombia.
This new contract represents the second-largest public purchase made by Colombia so far this century, surpassed only by the investment in the Bogotá metro system, local media noted.
The agreement is expected to be officially signed during the ceremony commemorating the 216th anniversary of the Colombian Aerospace Force, to be held in Cali on November 14 of this year.
International
Venezuela accuses U.S. of using Naval Deployment to pressure Maduro government
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, joined the U.S. Navy’s anti-drug operation in Latin America on Tuesday—a deployment Venezuela has condemned as an attempt to pressure President Nicolás Maduro from power.
In a statement, the U.S. Southern Command confirmed that the carrier, ordered to deploy nearly three weeks ago, has entered its area of responsibility, which includes Latin America and the Caribbean.
“The world’s largest aircraft carrier will strengthen the United States’ ability to detect, monitor, and dismantle illicit actors and activities that threaten the security and prosperity of U.S. territory and our safety in the Western Hemisphere,” said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
According to the White House, the U.S. government under Donald Trump has carried out about twenty operations in the Caribbean and the Pacific since early September, resulting in the deaths of 76 suspected drug traffickers.
However, U.S. authorities have not yet presented evidence that the targeted vessels were being used for drug trafficking or posed a direct threat to the country.
The operations have raised concerns in Caracas, where the Maduro administration views the deployment as a strategic move aimed at provoking regime change in Venezuela.
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