26-08-2015
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC, for its acronym in English) are asking to be alert against possible infection Chikungunya virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, after the first case was contracted to the Spanish July.
Often
affected by Chikungunya detected
in Europe. These are people
who have traveled to areas where the disease is implanted
and infected sell, but the
case of a
Valencian Gandia
is the first infection
contracted in the Iberian Peninsula. The man started to present symptoms on July 7 when he was traveling in France for the past three days and had not previously been in any endemic area. The incubation period of the virus is usually four to seven days, so it was determined that the patient had been infected in Valencia.
Fever Chicungunya (Chika) is a
viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes of the species
Aedes aegypti and
Aedes albopictus. First there is no evidence of its presence in Europe, but the second is called the
tiger mosquito, which is present in Valencia since 2013.
In Europe tiger mosquito was first observed in 1979 in Albania, apparently from China. He arrived in Italy from USA in 1990 and the decade of 2000 appeared in France, Belgium, Montenegro, Switzerland and Hungary.
It was first detected in August 2004
in Sant Cugat del Vallès where he spread to the city of Barcelona and its surroundings and currently continues its expansion in Catalonia
and other areas
of the Iberian Peninsula, probably traveling
in cars. Therefore, coordination with the Mossos d'Esquadra, is doing a study on its presence in the vehicles when they are stopped by police. It is not known exactly how he came to Catalonia, but suspected it was from Italy, where in 2007 caused an outbreak of Chikungunya.
Once bitten by a mosquito carrying the
virus, symptoms
appear four to seven days later. The person has
joint pain, which is the main characteristic of this
disease, fever
over 39 ° C, headache, back pain and skin rash. We recommend all travelers who come quickly to the doctor if these symptoms present and inform the trip to endemic areas.
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for this disease. In most patients
the symptoms disappear in one to three weeks. It is recommended complete rest, drink lots of water and use of antipyretic and anti-inflammatory.
Europe has also become a region "vulnerable" in the local transmission of the virus as a result of these imported cases detected no time in those regions where the tiger mosquito has been set.
The only effective means of prevention is to
protect against mosquito bites.
To prevent its spread must eliminate breeding sites such as containers that may contain standing water; not accumulate garbage outside closed containers, cover potable water daily and change water troughs and vases.
We must strengthen surveillance systems to detect possible presence of these areas with mosquitoes, having prepared for laboratory analysis of samples alert and inform the population because of possible breeding sites and protect against bites.
The tiger mosquito is a vector potential for
other diseases more serious as dengue, yellow fever and Nile fever, which is why we must insist on control.
Has developed a
mobile application for reporting the presence of the tiger mosquito called
Catch the tiger.
From
The Sun Factory, an environmental education facility of the City of Barcelona, in the program of
activities, workshops on various topics are related to the
tiger mosquito. The next will be on November 11, from 18 to 20 pm (Registration from October 28 to 10 am).
