Bite case: Cuba registers an increase in infections with chikungunya and dengue viruses

Russian tourists in Cuba should use repellents, wear closed clothing and avoid visiting places with stagnant fresh water, the embassy in Havana told Izvestia. Dengue and chikungunya viruses have been raging on the island for several months, and the situation turned into an epidemic in November. According to official data alone, 33 people have recently died from viruses, the real data may be many times higher. Authorities report at least 38,000 people infected with the chikungunya virus, which is transmitted through a mosquito bite. The difficult sanitary situation is worsened by the general economic crisis and the shortage of specialized personnel.

Cuba is experiencing a major sanitary crisis

Cuba is in a difficult situation, Karilda Peña, the island's Deputy Minister of Health, said in a recent address. According to official data alone, over the past few months, 33 people have died from dengue and chikungunya viruses transmitted through mosquito bites, including minors, 93 patients are in serious condition. Non-governmental organizations claim that the number of deaths could be at least three times as high.

In total, there are about 38,000 registered cases of chikungunya alone, with almost half of them occurring last month. Over the past week, the virus has been diagnosed in more than 5,700 people. The authorities state that the data may not correspond to reality, since most Cubans do not go to hospitals and are treated at home.

The first cases of infection in Cuba occurred back in July, but the authorities attributed the situation to the epidemic status only in November. Currently, infections are registered in 14 of the 15 provinces of the island state. The largest number of infections is reported in Matanzas, Havana, Artemis, Cienfuegos, Via Clara and Camaguey.

It is noted that in most cases, children become infected with the chikungunya virus. The publication El Toque, in particular, reports on the death of a two-month-old baby due to lack of medicines and lack of proper treatment by hospital staff.

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About 1.5 thousand Russians were at the epicenter of the infection, the media reported. According to some reports, at least 14 fellow citizens have suffered from the chikungunya virus in a mild form. The embassy, however, notes that there is no direct threat to Russians going on vacation to the island, nevertheless, certain security measures should be observed.

— According to the Cuban Ministry of Health, tropical dengue and chikungunya fevers are currently widespread throughout the republic. At the same time, we note that fumigation treatment is regularly carried out by local authorities in mass recreation areas of foreign tourists. Nevertheless, the embassy strongly recommends that Russian citizens arriving on vacation use repellents, wear closed clothing and avoid visiting places with stagnant fresh water, the Russian Embassy in Cuba told Izvestia.

Why can't the healthcare system handle the workload

The epidemiological situation in Cuba is difficult to control: the country has been experiencing the effects of an economic blockade for many years, which is why there is a shortage of important products, as well as medicines.

Foreign media state that ideal conditions have been created in Cuba for the spread of a dangerous virus. In many cities, including due to fuel shortages, garbage from the streets was stopped daily. At the same time, the waste is outside in direct sunlight for a long time. Meanwhile, power outages have become more frequent in the country in recent months. To cope with the summer heat, locals began to go to bed more often with their windows and doors open, which only simplified the process of infection with viruses. Problems with the supply of water also contribute to their spread (whether it is not available on some days, or it comes with insufficient pressure).

As for the health care system itself, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information (Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información), from 2021 to 2024, the number of doctors in Cuba decreased by 29%, and nurses — by 17%. One of the reasons is their relocation to work in other countries with more stable economies.

— Cuba's healthcare system itself is not in its best condition today, as the country's economy as a whole is experiencing an acute crisis that has been going on since the pandemic period. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, due to the mobilization of resources, it was somehow more or less possible to overcome the infection, but then the situation worsened," Alexandra Arabajyan, a researcher at IMEMO RAS, explains to Izvestia.

Another problem is the lack of medical equipment in hospitals, as well as medicines. The reasons are both economic sanctions and a lack of currency for the purchase of these goods from abroad. In this regard, the customs service even allowed individuals to bring drugs from other countries in their luggage. Getting certain medicines is a big problem, says Alexandra Arabajyan, often they cannot be bought in a regular pharmacy, the shelves are simply empty, you have to take them on the black market or from resellers.

— Cuban citizens choose the following strategy: when they get sick, they just stay at home and try to recover without taking any adequate treatment. But, of course, it is impossible to just stay at home, and it is necessary to go out to the store. And at the same time, infected mosquitoes don't go away. Because of this, the situation has escalated," says the expert.

In general, there is a difficult humanitarian situation in the country due to food shortages. The last hurricane Melissa only worsened the island's situation — it caused serious damage to the eastern provinces of the country, Arabajian sums up.