CARACAS – The Venezuelan Medical Federation (FMV) has called for an urgent epidemiological investigation after a series of deaths in the states of Barinas and Anzoátegui linked to an as-yet unidentified illness. Health authorities have not confirmed the cause of the cases or whether they are connected.
In a public statement, the FMV expressed "deep concern" over what it described as a rapidly progressing illness characterized by severe deterioration in patients' general condition and acute cardiorespiratory failure. The organization said the reported cases have resulted in multiple deaths within a short period, prompting calls for enhanced disease surveillance.
The alert follows the deaths of three physicians in Barinas—identified as Jhovanny Silva, Rafael Díaz and Cecilia Chávez—who were treated at Dr. Luis Razetti Hospital. Medical organizations have urged Venezuela's Ministry of Health to conduct a thorough scientific investigation to determine the cause of the illness and to provide healthcare workers with adequate protective equipment and biosafety supplies.
The FMV also referred to reports from Anzoátegui, where several deaths, including three members of the same family in the rural community of Boca del Pao, have raised similar concerns. Those patients reportedly experienced fever, severe respiratory complications and pleural effusion before dying. Local authorities have established an epidemiological surveillance perimeter while laboratory tests continue to determine whether the illness is caused by a virus, bacterium or another agent.
Preliminary testing has reportedly ruled out dengue fever and yellow fever in some patients, but no definitive diagnosis has been announced. Authorities have also not established any confirmed epidemiological link between the cases reported in Barinas and those in Anzoátegui.
The FMV has urged Venezuelan health authorities to activate surveillance protocols for hemorrhagic fever and severe respiratory syndromes, publish updated epidemiological reports and ensure that frontline healthcare workers receive appropriate protective equipment.
Officials in Barinas have sought to reassure the public, stating that there is currently no declared health emergency and that available evidence does not demonstrate an epidemiological connection between the three deceased physicians. They added that scientific investigations remain ongoing.
Medical experts have cautioned against drawing premature conclusions about the cause of the illness. While diseases such as hantavirus or Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever have been mentioned as possibilities, there is currently no official confirmation identifying a specific pathogen. Health authorities continue to investigate the cases.