After two weeks of epidemiological silence and in the absence of new cases across Peru, the diphtheria alert level returned to its baseline level, given that neighboring countries have reported confirmed cases,
Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti has announced.
In her presentation before Parliament's Health and Population Commission, the high-ranking official reported that samples of suspected cases have been processed in different parts of the country over the past three weeks, and they all tested negative.
The Cabinet member explained that the case of the family whose 5-year-old girl was infected with diphtheria —in Lima's La Victoria district— is the only one with epidemiological support.
Mazzetti stated that —as soon as the first cases were detected— the
Ministry of Health (Minsa) conducted an active search in the intervention areas and identified 61 suspected cases, but they were all dismissed.
The minister highlighted the work of the rapid response teams, which carried out a sweeping vaccination campaign and managed to immunize 32,804 people in La Victoria alone.
Mazzetti underscored that her portfolio remains alert and is reinforcing the vaccination programs to prevent an outbreak of a preventable disease.
"We have over 160,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines, and we have requested the doses needed for next year, that is, around 12 million," she said.
(END) NDP/RMB/MVB
Published: 11/25/2020