Tn’T

September 20, 2008

The Dengue Outbreak in Trinidad and Tobago is on a sharp upward climb.  Infections have skyrocketed and the death toll has tripled since the last Woodshed update in late August.

In just the last three and a half weeks alone, 5 more Dengue victims have been buried in Trinidad.  That is in addition to the 2 deaths that occurred in June and July respectively.  Also, 160 new Dengue confirmations – not diagnoses mind you – have been made.

Some of the hardest hit areas are Rio Claro and Mayaro districts (48 Confirmed Cases), Penal and Debe (25 Confirmed Cases) and La Romaine, all in South Trinidad.

2 of the four most recent deaths are Mayaro residents.  The other 2 are from Penal and Princes Town.  Interestingly enough, the Penal victim was five months pregnant at the time of her death three weeks ago at the San Fernando General Hospital.  Her husband divulged this to the Trinidad Newsday.  Therefore, should not the death count be 5, to include the unborn child?

Over on Tobago, Trinidad’s sister island, the worst outbreak of Dengue Fever has been declared.  8 Cases of the disease was confirmed by County Medical Officer of Health Mentor Melville who also disclosed to the Trinidad Express that 41 Suspected Dengue Cases had been treated at Scarborough Regional Hospital.  The positive results were derived from quick tests done at Scarborough Regional.

An island health education campaign to sensitise the public about what they should do to prevent Dengue was launched on September 09, 2008.

In recent, weeks, the debate in Trinidad and Tobago had been whether or not the Dengue activity in the country was sufficient to classify it as a full blown outbreak.

Initially, Health Minister Jerry Narace disassociated himself with the popular belief that because so many people were getting sick from the mosquito-borne disease that a Dengue Outbreak ought to be declared.  Then Social Development Minister Dr. Amery Browne was himself infected with the Dengue virus, something which he would neither confirm nor deny.

Narace had also infamously cast doubt on a report that an 8 year old child from Freeport may have died as a result of a Dengue infection.  He stated at the time that the only institution that could reliably confirm Dengue, in the absence of a forensic autopsy – which the parents of the child would not allow – was the Public Health Laboratory of the Caribbean Epidemiological Centre (CAREC).

Well CAREC has completed confirmatory tests on blood samples taken from the child hours before she died.  The report, dated September 03, was reviewed by Newsday.  The publication’s September 21 story on the subject speaks to the fact that the child had tested “postive to Dengue IgM..Dengue Type 2.”

Five days shy of the end of the month of August, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Anton Cumberbatch told a Dengue Forum that two persons had died of Dengue Fever in June and July respectively and that in addition, there were 120 Confirmed Dengue Cases and 968 Suspected Cases on record for the year.

Thus the rough Dengue count in Trinidad and Tobago would be 7 deaths, 280 Confirmed Cases, and a 1000 plus Suspected Cases by now.

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