Jamaica is heightening its response to the chikungunya virus having had one case confirmed in that country.
This is according to the island’sDirector of Emergency Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Marion Bullock DuCasse.
“We are also ensuring that, at our points of entry, when visitors return to the island from any of the countries where transmission is occurring, we alert them to the fact that if they display any signs and symptoms, they should check with their doctors or any of our health facilities,” DuCasse said.
According to Ducasse, every effort is also being made to engage the public through a series of public awareness campaigns many of which will be executed by the island’s network of health care workers in all fields. The Ministry will also conduct surveys and this will be done within a half mile radius of any infected individual.
Ducasse also stated that persons displaying the symptoms of chickungunya (while it may yet to be confirmed) will be tested for the virus while having their movements restricted to contain its spread.
“We have already completed our fever survey for this (confirmed) case, and we continue to monitor those individuals (examined) for fever. If any of them develop signs and symptoms, we would treat them as a suspected case, they would be isolated and asked to remain under mosquito nets until their condition is ascertained,” Ducasse explained.
