Guyana

________

Guyana is seeing a repeat of the circumstances that in 2007 threatened to prosecute a major outbreak of Dengue Fever there.  At the start of the month of April, the country had already recorded 103 cases of Dengue, 9 up from the same time a year ago.  This comes on the heels of a spike in Classic Dengue cases - and some Hemorrhagic Dengue - across the country two months ago that was not, however, sustained.

It is not clear at this stage as to whether all of this Dengue activity is as a result of the increased sensitivity and suspicion of doctors and the consequent doubling of the amount of testing they have initiated.

Dengue-2, the type known to be prevalent in Guyana, is predominantly what patients are turning up with.  However, a relatively small number of cases has been diagnosed with Dengue-3 and Dengue-4, which is why DHF is showing up uncharacteristically this year.   

The Lethem border is currently under heavy surveillance.  Teams of health personnel are visiting the homes of infected persons and testing the other occupants for the Dengue virus. 

Airlines have been requested to share their manifests with Port Health in cases where persons with high fever have boarded inbound flights.  

Additionally, the bed net programme is being rolled out in coastal communities to pregnant women and families with young children.  And Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy went to the media on Monday, April 07 to appeal to people living on the coast and in the hinterland to sleep under the long term impregnated mosquito bed nets.

He also said that the country’s Vector Control efforts against the Dengue mosquito have been intensified through fogging and other measures.

At around this time of year in 2007, all indications were that Guyana would have suffered a major Dengue Outbreak.  The Ministry of Health reacted swiftly then by orchestrating an onslaught on the disease by throwing Vector Control and allied health professionals at it.  Ports of entry were put under surveillance to curb the introduction of the Dengue virus into the country.  Bed nets were distributed in affected hinterland areas to stem the rate of infection.  Soon, it became clear that Guyana’s worse fears would not be realised as disease spread slowed and eventually became a non-issue.  400 cases of Dengue were still recorded in 2007.

 

Main Sources: Stabroek News/Sunday Stabroek

                            Guyana Chronicle Blog