With the country recording 3,147 suspected, presumed and confirmed dengue cases, as well as nine deaths, there is a call for persons to take action to minimise the spread of the virus.
Making the call, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton said the monitoring of water-storage containers for mosquito breeding must be done regularly, keeping surroundings “free of debris”, destroying or treating potential mosquito breeding sites, wearing protective clothing, and using a DEET mosquito repellent are very important features to be observed.
“The public is urged not to use aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, or any of the medications/pain relievers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs, when used to treat the fever in dengue have been known to increase the severity of the disease,” the Minister said, while speaking at a press conference, held recently at his New Kingston office.
Dr. Tufton noted that on occasion, the illness can progress to severe dengue, which can result in organ failure, bleeding (haemorrhage), and severe fluid depletion that can lead to “shock and death”.
He emphasised that persons experiencing fever, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, bleeding under the skin (petechial rash), feeling very weak, or getting confused, are to seek immediate medical attention.
“Rest and adequate hydration are usually enough to see one through the period of illness. The recommended treatment for the fever is acetaminophen/paracetamol,” Dr. Tufton said.
He pointed out that dengue cases remain “above the epidemic threshold”, adding that dengue serotypes 2, 3 and 4 have been identified among the population, with dengue serotype 2 remaining the dominant strain.
Approximately 700 temporary vector-control workers continue to be engaged in search and destroy, and health education activities across the island.
Dr. Tufton said that children in the five to 14 age cohort continue to be “cause for concern”, with the highest number of suspected/presumed/confirmed dengue cases observed in that group, at a rate of 360.3 cases per 100,000 persons.
“All parishes continue to observe an increase in dengue cases compared to 2022 with Kingston and St. Andrew reporting the highest number of cases (776) for 2023. At the same time, St. Thomas maintains the highest rate of cases with 382.5 cases per 100,000 population, followed by Portland (221.0 per 100,000) and Trelawny with 160.0 per 100,000,” he stated.
On September 23, the Ministry declared a dengue outbreak for the island, and since then, it has distributed more than 500 drum covers to households, increased fogging across the island, both morning and evening, with a total of 461 communities fogged and an additional 115 high-risk communities fogged.
Bulky waste has been removed from an initial six parishes in more than 20 communities by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).
Source: JIS