ASSESSING THE CASE OF DENGUE IN ARGENTINA 2009: Discrimination and fear

Abstract

After almost a decade, the re-appearance of Dengue in Argentinacaused panic and fears. Unlike Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay wherepolicies of preventions have been followed, the future of dengueis uncertain for Argentina; this paper does not have any politicalaffiliation but emphasizes the role that mass media play in thecoverage of epidemics. The question as to whether a newspaper ormass media corporation should maintain a minimum of objectivityis too complex to be resolved in this short article. However, we haveso far set forth a model which will help other researchers to interpret topics of this nature in the future. In moments of disorder, uncertainty or disaster, societies experience a shift in the ways they perceive reality. As has been previously developed, uncertainty, gossip and ideological facets are inherent in all cases of social disturbances.

Keywords

• Dengue outbreak
• panic
• mitigation
• political fields.