An increase in the prevalence of cases of respiratory viruses, dengue, chikungunya, malaria, gastroenteritis, and leptospirosis tops the list of diseases following the climatic events and floods in the Dominican Republic.
Santo Domingo. Faced with the continuation of the hurricane season in the country, which lasts until November 30, as well as the increase in diseases linked to the frequency of rainfall in recent weeks, the Dominican Society of Pediatrics, today dedicated its update meeting to the early identification and diagnosis of these conditions in children and adolescents.
Dr. Carmen Sarah Mota, infectious disease pediatrician and board member of this specialized medical society, highlighted that the national epidemiological reports of the last few weeks (bulletin No. 45) indicate that Gran Santo Domingo and various provinces in the South were the most affected locations with a greater proliferation of cases, mainly in those where there was a greater accumulation of profuse waters.
The specialist explained that the diseases most commonly observed in the rainy seasons are divided by stages. “In the first days of the rain, we see a greater circulation of respiratory viruses, especially in children who had to go to shelters or are displaced due to overcrowding, because there is a high rate of transmission of respiratory viruses by air and contact.”
He added that it is also common to find infections related to water and food contamination (such as gastroenteritis) with the consequent dehydration due to vomiting. Later on, infections related to mosquitoes appear, which arise from the accumulation of wastewater, as they are a breeding ground for mosquitoes that transmit diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria. He also commented that there is a projection for the following weeks of identification and increase of cases related to vector-borne diseases, as a result of that incubation process after the rainy days.
Warning Signs in Children
For Dr. Mota, it is important for the population to know the danger signs. She recommended that “all patients under one year of age should be taken to the pediatrician, in the face of any symptoms. Also, those children who have some concomitant diseases (such as children with diabetes, falcemia, patients suffering from the heart or kidneys, or who present any sign of infection – whether respiratory or systemic – such as fever, malaise, diarrhea and/or vomiting) should be evaluated. All of them should be taken immediately to a health center, preferably where their primary care physician is located.
He emphasized some warning signs that parents, family members, and guardians should take into account for an immediate medical check-up. If the child presents irritability, does not calm down or does not wake up, does not respond the same way, as well as those who reflect respiratory difficulty or who are vomiting consistently (three vomits in less than 60 minutes) or do not allow oral management, it is time to take him/her to an Emergency Unit.
Viruses and Infections
The Dominican Society of Pediatrics reaffirmed that, in the case of infections such as dengue, leptospirosis or malaria, the initial symptoms are indistinguishable (fever, muscle pain, headache, sometimes vomiting can occur and the pathologies can be confused). Therefore, they emphasize that it is essential to go to the health center with the clinical history, perform a physical examination and some tests to be able to differentiate between each of them. In the market, there are also molecular tests that allow identifying the DNA of the virus or bacteria to confirm the cause of the disease.
During her conference, Dr. Sarah Mota also reviewed the approach to respiratory infections, mainly during this season. The prevalent symptoms are always cough, sneezing, and nasal discharge. Among the most frequent are respiratory syncytial virus and influenza.
Other frequent conditions are irritation of the conjunctiva (conjunctivitis); as well as signs of gastrointestinal infection (such as vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and loss of appetite).
The specialist added that in all these situations there may be a fever related to the causative agent, which in some cases may present high fevers, if they are bacterial infections, although viruses can also produce a high fever, as is the case with influenza infection.
Key Recommendations
Dr. Mota discussed some of the most common mistakes made by parents and caregivers in the case of pediatric patients: 1. Not identifying the danger signs. 2. Relying excessively on self-medication.
