Andrés Lamas Acevedo, the director of the Matanzas Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology, confirmed on Saturday that there are active cases of hepatitis in multiple areas of the province, such as Versalles, Plácido, La Cumbre, and “isolated instances across all municipalities.” In a discussion with the media outlet Girón, he mentioned that the current outbreaks are largely “well under control.”
He indicated that the spread of hepatitis in the province is primarily through human transmission rather than through water, unlike the situation two decades ago in Versailles. He attempted to minimize the outbreak’s impact by stating, “The number of cases has been relatively low.”
Nonetheless, Girón notes at the beginning of the article that “for the last few weeks, the residents of Matanzas have expressed concern” regarding this situation.
To manage the outbreak, Lamas Acevedo highlighted that authorities have temporarily shut down businesses in the Plácido area. “When several individuals in one area become ill, as observed in Plácido, it’s necessary to close establishments, including the guarapera (sugarcane juice stands) and cafes offering prepared drinks like coffee and juice, because we lack confirmation of their safety.”
Another preventive strategy includes boiling or chlorinating water using hypochlorite. However, the official acknowledges that many people face material constraints: “Not everyone can boil water due to a lack of gas or charcoal. Hence, we need to improve public access to hypochlorite in all pharmacies.”
“Right now, it is already available in high hepatitis rate areas, but it needs to be expanded to all pharmacies across the municipalities for better access,” he stressed.
He explained that the risk of an outbreak occurs when “a fly lands on a piece of bread, pastry, or broth in someone’s home after visiting a landfill with the feces of an infected person. That’s how the virus is transferred.”
The doctor also mentioned that hepatitis is challenging to manage due to its silent transmission phase, stating, “Transmission can begin as early as 10 days before symptoms emerge and last for up to 15 days after. This means I could be infected now without feeling ill and still transmit it.”
Earlier in April, provincial officials had already communicated their enhanced epidemiological monitoring in response to hepatitis outbreaks across various municipalities, especially in the Versalles neighborhood, which recorded 18 active cases at that time.
Lamas Acevedo admitted the situation’s seriousness but aimed to reduce panic: “While it is not a widespread outbreak, coordinated efforts between health services and other organizations can help curb transmission.”
Additional cases have emerged in Camagüey; on April 23, regional television featured a health official who acknowledged an “increase in suspected and probable hepatitis A cases mainly focused in our municipality.”
The report indicated that “with significant issues surrounding solid waste collection, it’s essential to boost hygiene and sanitation protocols.” Despite these concerns, the health official maintained that “we currently do not face an outbreak in Camagüey, although there has been a noticeable rise in the illness.”
One user commented on the TV Camagüey broadcast, saying, “Camagüey has been overwhelmed by hepatitis cases for months. I personally know over 20 individuals who have contracted hepatitis. We must take this seriously.” Another user criticized the official message: “Isolation is not the root cause; diagnosing 30 to 40 positive cases in a single day in an emergency department certainly indicates an outbreak.”
At the start of the year, health authorities in Ciego de Ávila reported investigating several suspected hepatitis cases identified across different municipalities of the province.
As is typical, no specific numbers were provided, and it was stated that protocols established by the health system were activated following the detection of the initial symptomatic patients.
Hepatitis leads to liver inflammation, with common symptoms including fatigue, jaundice, nausea, abdominal pain, and dark urine, although some cases can be asymptomatic. Severe cases may result in extreme fatigue, fever ranging from 37.5 to 38 degrees Celsius [99.5F to 100.4F], headaches, muscle pains, loss of appetite, and gum bleeding.