http://assets.survivalinternational.org/pictures/265/BRAZ-YANO-FW-32_screen.jpg
Foto extraída de http://www.orinoco.org/apg/lopeopleindiv.asp?lang=es&people=yanomami
VV
AFP/Globovisió n
05/11/2009 6:09:15 p.m.
Cinco indígenas yanomami que habitaban en la zona fronteriza entre Venezuela y Brasil murieron debido a la gripe H1N1 tras un brote registrado en el estado Amazonas (sur), confirmó este jueves el ministro de Salud de Venezuela, Carlos Rotondaro. En declaraciones a la agencia de noticias oficial ABN, Rotondaro indicó que "sólo se han registrado cinco fallecidos y no se han producido nuevos casos de gripe" hasta ahora en la zona donde habita la comunidad, pero no especificó la cantidad de indígenas afectados por el virus.
El responsable también confirmó que el gobierno venezolano mantiene un cerco epidemiológico en la zona para evitar que el brote se extienda y vigila "a las personas posiblemente afectadas por la nueva influenza".
Rotondaro agregó que las autoridades sanitarias de Brasil fueron notificadas con el objetivo de activar las medidas de prevención también al otro lado de la frontera.
El miércoles se conoció extraoficialmente que un brote de gripe H1N1 había afectado a la población yanomami. Citando a fuentes locales no oficiales, la ONG Survival, con sede en Londres, había informado de que al menos siete indígenas habían fallecido debido a la gripe y otros 1.000 padecían el virus.
Los yanomami son una comunidad indígena que vive prácticamente aislada a ambos lados de la frontera entre Venezuela y Brasil y que cuenta con una población estimada de 32.000 personas.
En el pasado, otras enfermedades producidas por el contacto con mineros y buscadores de oro, como la malaria, diezmaron de manera importante la comunidad.
Venezuela, que sumó hasta el 31 de octubre 95 muertes por H1N1, se dispone a comprar unos cinco millones de vacunas contra la gripe, que deberían llegar al país a principios de 2010.
Isolated Amazon Indians Die of Swine Flu
Thursday, 5 November 2009, 10:23 am
Press Release: Survival International
Seven Yanomami Indians in Venezuela have died from an outbreak of suspected swine flu in the last two weeks. Another 1,000 Yanomami are reported to have caught the virulent strain of flu.
The Venezuelan government has sealed off the area, and sent in medical teams to treat the Yanomami. The regional office of the World Health Organization has confirmed the presence of swine flu.
There are fears that the epidemic could sweep through the Yanomami territory and kill many more Indians.
Related Stories on Scoop
Amazon Tribe Down To Five As Oldest Member Dies 20/10/2009
Amazon Indians Struck By Swine Flu `For First Time 13/08/2009
Amazon Indian Cannibalism Reports 20/02/2009
Brazilian Indians In London In Bid To Save Amazon 21/06/2008
Colombia: Isolated Indians Targets Of Rebels, Army 29/04/2008
Results powered by search.scoop. co.nz More Related Stories >>>
The Yanomami are the largest relatively isolated tribe in the Amazon rainforest, with a population of about 32,000 that straddle the Venezuela-Brazil border. Due to this isolation they have very little resistance to introduced diseases such as flu.
In the 1980-90s, when goldminers invaded their land, one fifth of the Yanomami in Brazil died from diseases such as flu and malaria introduced by the miners. Their future was only secured after a major international campaign led by the Yanomami themselves, Survival International and the Pro Yanomami Commission.
Health care is already extremely precarious on both sides of the border. Many Yanomami communities have no access at all to health care and this mountainous, forested region presents many challenges in the provision of emergency medical aid.
The Yanomami territory lies on the border of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela and is the largest indigenous territory in tropical rainforest in the world.
Last month Survival published a report highlighting the special threat that swine flu presents to indigenous people around the world.
Stephen Corry, director of Survival said, `The situation is critical. Both governments must take immediate action to halt the epidemic and radically improve the health care to the Yanomami. If they do not, we could once more see hundreds of Yanomami dying of treatable diseases. This would be utterly devastating for this isolated tribe, whose population has only just recovered from the epidemics which decimated their population 20 years ago
Remote Venezuelan Villages Hit With H1N1 Flu
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
CARACAS, Venezuela — Swine flu has appeared among Venezuela's Yanomami Indians, one of the largest isolated indigenous groups in the Amazon, and a doctor said Wednesday that the virus is suspected in seven deaths, including six infants.
The deaths happened in forest villages near Venezuela's border with Brazil over the past 2 1/2 weeks, said Raidan Bernade, a Venezuelan doctor on a team working to contain the outbreak and treat the ill.
Bernade told The Associated Press that doctors confirmed one of those who died had swine flu — a 35-year-old Yanomami woman who doctors believe was pregnant.
Six babies, the oldest of whom was about 1 year old, died from similar symptoms, though samples weren't taken in time to confirm it was swine flu, Bernade said by phone from La Esmeralda, a riverside town at the edge of the vast rain forest territory where the Yanomami live.
He said the victims had fever and coughing at first, and suffered complications from pneumonia.
The deaths were reported Wednesday by the London-based indigenous rights group Survival International, which warned that if not properly contained the virus could spread and cause more deaths among people who are particularly susceptible to disease due to their limited contact with the outside world.
Yamilet Mirabal, the government's deputy minister of indigenous affairs for the region, told the AP she was informed of six Yanomami deaths suspected of being due to swine flu. She said the outbreak was detected about three weeks ago and health officials have taken precautions since to prevent the illness from spreading.
She said suspected swine flu cases appeared in three Yanomami villages — Mavaca, Platanal and Hatakoa — and a Cuban-trained team of Venezuelan doctors known as Battalion 51 was sent to the area to treat the ill and track possible cases.
Two swine flu cases have been confirmed among the ill, Mirabal said.
Doctors have identified more than 3,000 people with various respiratory illnesses in the zone and took samples from those with serious cases, Bernade said.
He said about 110 sick people are being evaluated to see if they might have swine flu, though doctors believe most have a seasonal flu that appears regularly in the area. He said the number of people who are ill has been declining.
It is unclear how swine flu reached the Yanomami.
There are an estimated 28,000 or more Yanomami living in communities on both sides of the Venezuela-Brazil border. They have maintained their language as well as traditions including face paint and wooden facial ornaments piercing their noses, cheeks and lips.
The Yanomami often suffer from malaria and also have seen deaths in the past from outbreaks of illnesses such as measles, yellow fever and hepatitis. In many cases, they have become sick after contact with outsiders.
Last month, Venezuela confirmed there have been 90 deaths nationwide from swine flu, and 1,910 cases of the virus.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario