Guillain-Barre syndrome in Peru is neither epidemic nor contagious and, so far, a slight decline in the number of cases reported has been experienced in some regions where the outbreak occurred, Health Minister Zulema Tomas said Friday.
"The number of new cases so far this week is 77 —Saturday and Sunday reports are missing— in contrast to 191 cases reported as of Friday last week. This represents a decrease from week 24 to week 25, but as the
Ministry of Health we stay alert to any process," she underlined.
In a press conference,
Tomas said 469 cases have been reported so far and that all hospitals and health centers in the affected regions provide comprehensive coverage of medicines, equipment, and supplies to treat patients.
"The entire treatment is being covered by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and by the regions. This treatment is completely free of charge, considering the weekly cost per patient is between S/30,000 (about US$9,000) and S/60,000 (about US$18,000)," she explained.
During inspection visits to La Libertad and Piura, she was able to confirm some reduction in the number of cases.
However, she insisted on the importance of handwashing and covering mouth with arm when sneezing or coughing.
According to the official, respiratory and digestive problems precede this syndrome; therefore, it is important to be careful to prevent these types of infections.
(END) LIT/RMB/MVB
Published: 6/14/2019