In the midst of Cuba's escalating epidemiological crisis, Dr. Francisco Durán García, the national director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), publicly dismissed claims on state television this Tuesday regarding the existence of West Nile Virus (WNV) cases on the island.
"No case has been diagnosed," Dr. Durán stated, emphasizing that laboratories at the Institute of Tropical Medicine are processing hundreds of samples and "none have tested positive" for this virus.
The epidemiologist attempted to downplay concerns by describing West Nile as a disease with "milder symptoms" compared to chikungunya. However, his assurances failed to convince some in the medical community and many Cubans both domestically and abroad, who question the lack of transparency and scientific vigilance amid a wave of fevers, sudden deaths, and neurological symptoms that don't align with typical patterns of dengue or chikungunya.
Distrust Amidst Denial
Dr. Durán's statements came after international media reported a case involving a foreign tourist who exhibited symptoms consistent with the virus following a visit to Cuba. Instead of confirming or initiating an investigation, the official categorically denied any possibility.
Scientific evidence, however, challenges his absolute certainty. The West Nile Virus—an arbovirus transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, which are as common in Cuba as the Aedes aegypti—has been detected in several Caribbean countries, including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Haiti.
In fact, there has been serological activity of the virus recorded in Cuba. A study by the Pedro Kourí Institute, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CDC, 2006), documented the presence of specific WNV antibodies in humans and horses in central provinces of the island, indicating prior exposure to the virus.
Another study from 2015 again detected flavivirus antibodies compatible with WNV in Sancti Spíritus, although no viral isolation was confirmed.
A Virus That Could Have Entered Silently
West Nile Virus is not unfamiliar to the tropics. Originating in Africa, it crossed the Atlantic in the late 20th century, spreading across the hemisphere discreetly. In 1999, it caused an unprecedented epidemic in the United States and was documented throughout the Caribbean in subsequent years. Although not officially recognized, Cuba already appears in international scientific literature as a region where the virus has left serological traces.
In 2006, researchers at the Pedro Kourí Institute detected antibodies against the virus in Cuban humans and horses, and a second study in 2015 confirmed prior exposure to the pathogen in central provinces. These findings, published by Emerging Infectious Diseases (CDC) and the Journal of Emerging and Diagnostic Virology, suggest the virus could have entered, circulated, and vanished without clinical diagnosis, a phenomenon known in epidemiology as "silent circulation."
The current scenario does not rule out its return. Cuba maintains a steady flow of travelers with Africa, where the virus is endemic. Cuban doctors working in Angola, Mozambique, or Equatorial Guinea frequently return to the country, and hundreds of African students reside in university dormitories on the island.
None of these routes have specific vector control or health protocols, despite the risk they pose to a nation currently lacking epidemiological infrastructure.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has warned that West Nile Virus could become permanently established in the Caribbean due to climate change, bird migration, and the expansion of Culex mosquitoes, prevalent in humid and urban areas. And Cuba, abundant with mosquitoes, stagnant waters, and official neglect, is no exception.
Denying its potential circulation—without molecular studies or systematic surveillance—only magnifies doubt.
Science cannot rely on blind faith in a state laboratory but must be based on replicable and open evidence. If the West Nile Virus has returned—brought by the same paths of silence and negligence—the country wouldn't even know it. And in a nation that is sick and uninformed, this is a threat more dangerous than the virus itself.
Dr. Durán's claim that the virus "has nothing to do with chikungunya" and only causes a "minor fever" distorts medical reality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most infected with WNV are asymptomatic, but up to 20% develop West Nile fever with rashes, vomiting, muscle pains, and general discomfort. Less than 1% could suffer from encephalitis, meningitis, or acute flaccid paralysis.
These severe forms are more common in children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised, the very groups currently most affected by the current wave of febrile infections in Cuba.
"What They Don't Investigate, They Hide"
Exiled Cuban doctor Alexander Figueredo Izaguirre, now residing in the United States, was among the first to suggest the hypothesis the regime refuses to hear. In a social media post, he highlighted that the pattern of deaths and symptoms reported by Cuban citizens "does not match the officially recognized arboviruses" and that West Nile Virus could be silently circulating in the country.
"High fevers, sudden deterioration, rapid deaths in the elderly, neurological symptoms, and certificates masked as 'natural death' are not normal," warned Figueredo. "I don't claim everything is West Nile, but the medical hypothesis exists, is serious, and backed by the Caribbean's epidemiological reality."
He further criticized the state for "hiding, minimizing, and blaming the blockade," while continuing to manipulate figures to avoid harming the peak tourism season.
A Fragmented and Underfunded Surveillance System
International experts agree that detecting West Nile Virus requires entomological surveillance, molecular tests (PCR), and complex serological studies—tools that Cuba currently lacks in its collapsed healthcare system.
The WHO warns that the virus's spread in the Caribbean is directly linked to climate change, bird migration, and lack of vector control. In Cuba, where mosquitoes thrive due to urban unsanitary conditions and deteriorating sanitation, the hypothesis of circulation is not far-fetched; it's epidemiologically plausible.
Nonetheless, MINSAP insists on denying what it cannot diagnose. Without public data, updated epidemiological bulletins, and independent laboratories to verify results, the country risks coexisting with a potentially deadly virus without even knowing it.
Science or Propaganda
Dr. Durán's denial is more political than scientific. If West Nile Virus is circulating—even in a limited manner—and the state is concealing it, Cuba faces a health threat that goes unrecognized officially, as happened in the past with hemorrhagic dengue or oropouche.
Medicine, when subordinated to propaganda, becomes silence. And that silence, in times of epidemics, can cost lives.
Key Questions About West Nile Virus in Cuba
What is the West Nile Virus?
West Nile Virus is an arbovirus transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, known for causing symptoms ranging from mild fever to severe neurological issues like encephalitis or meningitis in rare cases.
Why is there skepticism about West Nile Virus in Cuba?
Skepticism arises from the Cuban government's dismissal of potential cases despite international reports and scientific findings suggesting prior exposure in the country, coupled with a lack of transparency and investigation.
How can West Nile Virus be detected?
Detection of West Nile Virus requires entomological monitoring, molecular testing (PCR), and serological studies, resources currently limited in Cuba's healthcare system.