Dominica’s Ministry of Health is investigating reports of an airborne virus known as Coxsakie which usually affects children. It is known to also affect adults occasionally. Dr. Johnson said that a specimen of the virus will be sent to a reference lab in Trinidad for testing after it has been tested by the Dominica National Laboratory.
According to the Chief Medical Officer though, “there is no need for alarm”. Chief medical Officer, Dr. David Johnson confirmed the presence of the virus on Friday, December 13, 2013.
“These children are presenting with some skin lesions, the lesions are usually like some rash on their skin and sometimes they have lesions in their mouth and some cases might not be presented with fever”. The incubation period lasts about one to two days. Sore areas in the mouth develop in about a day or more after the initial fever. Children then may go on to develop small blisters which may become ulcerated.
Some parents are upset and reported to another section of the Dominica Press that “nothing was being done on the part of the Ministry to sensitize the public on the virus”. One disgruntled parent told the Dominica press that her infant child is infected and she “believes he became infected at his daycare”. (sic)
Reports suggest that quite a number of children have sought treatment at the Accident and Emergency Department at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Roseau and other health centers throughout the island.
Dr. Johnson said that there is no outbreak of the virus and no deaths have been reported.
He nevertheless warned the public that the virus can be transmitted from person to person and asked parents to take precautions nonetheless and keep infected children away from school.
“It is transmitted usually through close contact, so if a child or someone has that infection then by getting into close physical contact with another child or even with an adult. We have actually isolated the virus in Dominica and under those circumstances we always send specimen for reference lab in Trinidad for confirmation”.
The most frequent signs and symptoms of Coxsackie viral infections start with fever, sore throat, malaise (feeling tired), and a poor appetite.
