Guyana has sent almost 1000 samples to be tested by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for chikungunya and so far 15 cases of the mosquito-borne disease have been confirmed. According to officials there, the results will determine what further action needs to be taken with a view to controlling the illness. The illness was first confirmed on the French island of St. Martin and has spread throughout the region ever since.
“We have people in the field and they are doing our clinical evaluation; it is not excluded and to be quite open with the nation that you could have more cases because that is the nature of the disease, it is mosquito borne and there are mosquitoes all around the place,” said Minister of health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran.
The country has been undertaking extensive fogging and public awareness campaigns to control and eradicate breeding sites particularly since the rainy season began.
“Simple things like proper garbage disposal, disposal of old tyres, plastic bottles, Styrofoam boxes and utensils which seems to be a curse of the nation… any other container could be the repository or the base for collection of water and the water after a few days can become the breeding ground for mosquitoes,” Ramsaran indicated.
Several Caribbean countries have confirmed cases including Suriname which has confirmed one case as of last week.
“It is a disease we need to look at seriously, but it is not a disease that brings much deaths; it brings a lot of pains in the joints, pains in the muscles, discomfort, sometimes itches and rashes on the skin and at the same time it has an economic impact on the patient because they are so discomforted they find it difficult to work. What is more distressing after the acute stage of the disease would have passed, the pains can exist in the muscles for some considerable time impacting on the patient’s ability to be productive and to earn,” The Minister said.
