'No hay repelente': Dengue outbreak in Argentina leads to mosquito repellent shortage
File photo.
The dengue outbreak in Argentina has led to a shortage of mosquito repellent. As the country deals with its worst dengue crisis in recent years, mosquito repellents have been sold out in virtually all of the stores across the capital city of Buenos Aires, a report by the news agency Associated Press said early Saturday (Apr 6). The repellents are being sold for exorbitant prices online, in some cases as much as 10 times the retail price.
More than 120,000 cases of dengue have been recorded so far in the 2023/24 season. Rampart hoarding and surging prices of repellents have stoked desperation among citizens.
'No hay repelente'
A shop in Buenos Aires shared a message in Spanish- "No hay repelente"- which meant there was no repellent. A video posted on social media in the town of El Talar showed shoppers descending on an employee opening new boxes of bug spray, snatching up stock before he could place a single bottle on a shelf.
Speaking to the Associated Press, 42-year-old Ana Infante said that she had been to at least 30 pharmacies all over Buenos Aries and there were no repellents. “All we have is this,” she said, raising her swatting hand.
Marta Velarde, a 65-year-old shop owner in the capital city, recalled how a distraught customer recently threatened to punch her in the face when she said that there was no repellent left. "I feel helpless because I know I can’t do anything. You have no explanation and people are very aggressive," Velarde said.
How authorities are combating repellent shortage
Amid the mounting anger over the repellent shortage in Argentina, the government, which is already battling sky-high inflation levels, was forced to intervene. On Thursday (April 4), authorities lifted import restrictions on foreign-made mosquito repellents to boost supply and announced they would ramp up production at local labs.
Speaking to local media, Health Minister Mario Russo said, "We spoke with producers who told us that they have changed their capacity to produce, they are doing it at their maximum capacity."
Meanwhile, citizens are resorting to homespun methods to keep mosquitos away. A video on Instagram showed Buenos Aires’ municipal health minister Fernán Quirós hosting a workshop instructing residents how to make repellent at home with heaps of herbs and boiled essential oil.
(With inputs from agencies)