CARPHA (The Caribbean Public Health Agency) is warning St Lucia to take every precaution to avoid an outbreak of dengue in St Lucia. So far over 220 suspected cases of dengue have been reported by health authorities there. Over in Barbados, the island had reported over 600 cases and two deaths in one year. Seven cases were confirmed in St Lucia with one death reported on the island.
“Most of these cases are in the populated north of the island, but what is of more significance is the potential to have a major dengue epidemic,” said epidemiologist Naihum JnBaptiste. The Ministry of Health in St Lucia, however has said that increased surveillance has led to a decrease in the number of cases over the past month.
“One of the things that the environmental health branch does for dengue control is environmental management in terms of the habitats that breed the aegis egypti mosquitoes. What we have found in the most populated regions in the islands north is that the potential for spread of dengue is huge. In fact the literature informs that if you can get more than five out of 100 containers as breeding ground for mosquitoes, then you are at high risk for a dengue epidemic”, said Jn Baptiste.
Typically dengue fever occurs around the rainy season but Jn Baptistes said that it may spread beyond the rainy season.
“With respect to persons who have the symptoms of dengue, we want to caution against getting complacent after the fever subsides. As long as symptoms such as diarrhoea, stomach pain, dehydration and bleeding remain, these are danger signs and treatments needs to be escalated in the presence of a health care provider.”
The aegis egypti mosquito breeds in artificial containers mainly found in homes with a life cycle averaging seven days. Fogging is usually used by the Ministries across the Caribbean to assist in eradicating the mosquitos and public awareness campaigns assist in helping home and commercial business owners to keep areas clean, de-bushed while looking for breeding sites for the mosquito and eliminating the same.
Barbados recently announced that dengue had tripled in 2013 from 2012 with as many as 600 becoming ill and Barbados is continuing an extensive cross country fogging programme.
