• Controls.Magrudis only had three public inspections in the last four years

The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, defended on Wednesday the management that his government has made of the largest outbreak of listeriosis ever recorded in Spain, with 196 affected so far. Apart from any possible communication failure, he has not admitted errors in the application of the established protocols, including the declaration of the health alert, which was agreed by the Ministry of Health and Families on August 15.

Not only does the Andalusian president not see great failures, but the performance of the Andalusian Administration, of the public health system, is for him a cause of "pride". To the point that the outbreak that caused the death of three people could be a turning point in the treatment of infection with the bacterium Listeria monocytogene . "Probably, we are writing a new story in the fight against listeria in Spain and in the world," said Moreno Bonilla after visiting the pregnant women who are still admitted to the Virgen del Rocío hospital and presiding over the follow-up committee meeting. the crisis.

The treatment of the public health system, he said, "is a pioneer, avant - garde " and stressed that listeriosis has a mortality rate of 17% and in the outbreak in Andalusia has been much lower.

When facing responsibilities, the president of the Board has indicated directly to the Magrudis company, which elaborated in its plant in Seville the meatloaf and the rest of meat products contaminated by listeria. "It seems that the company did not do its job well," he said.

With regard to the role of the Board, it has emphasized that "it has acted with the utmost rigor " and, in relation to the declaration of the alert, has explained that it was activated when "proven data" were obtained.

Report on mistakes and successes

Despite the above, Moreno Bonilla has assured that he does not want to fall into "complacency" and has announced that once he sends the outbreak, a detailed report will be made to "locate bugs or errors and advance in successes."

It has also opened the door for the powers that, in matters of public health, now share the Board and the three Andalusian municipalities with a laboratory - Seville, Malaga and Granada - are absorbed by the Board, so that it is only one administration that has the power to manage a crisis such as that caused by listeria.

It will be done, has detailed, a "calm analysis of the situation and the suitability of maintaining that shared responsibility", an announcement that occurs after the frictions that the Ministry of Health has maintained with the City of Seville, responsible for the analysis and the control of the Magrudis company.

Likewise, it will be necessary to assess, he added, the need to increase inspections , although, he has warned, "it is humanly impossible" to carry out all inspections.

Moreno Bonilla has chaired the cabinet the same day in which, for the first time since the outbreak was detected, no new cases have been registered, so the number of infected remains in the 196 in Andalusia. In addition, the number of pregnant women hospitalized has fallen from 31 to 28, and the number of hospitalized overall, which has gone from 86 to 77.

The fact that no new cases have been registered is, said Moreno Bonilla, a "hopeful fact" and the demonstration that "the work is paying off." Along the same lines, it has affected that the outbreak is in a process of inflection , although "we will have a small drip in the next few days."

Criticisms of Susana Díaz

Moreno Bonilla has been especially tough with the general secretary of the Andalusian PSOE, Susana Díaz, whom he has accused of encouraging "alarmism" with his criticism of the last days. What he has done, he has criticized, is "generate alarm".

"Díaz is late and without rigor," continued the president of the Board, who has asked for responsibility after ensuring that he understands "the political weaknesses and complex situations" through which the socialist leader in Andalusia passes.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Andalusia
  • Seville
  • Health

Health AlertThe Prosecutor's Office of Seville opens an investigation on the listeriosis outbreak and meat with white label

The Unleashed Look Pilar Aranda: "It will be a long time until a Spanish university can be among the best one hundred in the world"

Health "I have lost my daughter from listeriosis"