Woodpulp…Antigua & Barbuda

ANTIGUA AND barbuda

HEALTH OFFICIAL SAFEGUARDING AGAINST DENGUE

by CAROL WILLIAMS - THURSDAY, JULY 22nd, 2010

Health authorities are taking precaution to protect against the spread of dengue fever here by persons visiting the island.

Chief Health Inspector Lionel Michael said it is possible for the virus to resurface in the twin-island state because of regular travel between residents of this and other countries where many cases of dengue fever have been reported.

“We do have a situation where there are a lot of mosquitoes breeding and we do have a situation where people travel a lot between Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico, and Trinidad, on a regular basis from Antigua & Barbuda,” Michael told The Daily OBSERVER.  “It’s likely that we can get cases from these islands.”

According to media reports, almost 17,000 cases have been reported across the region, causing concern that the virus is reaching epidemic proportions.

At least 27 deaths have been reported in the Dominican Republic, where there have been more than 5,000 dengue fever cases.

Health officials said more than 400 cases were reported in Trinidad and Tobago during the first six months of this year, while Puerto Rican officials reported that the island is facing what could be its worst dengue outbreak in more than a decade.

A high number of cases have also been reported in French Guiana, Guadeloupe and St Martin.

Speaking further on the situation in the regional islands, Michael said, “Dengue fever is endemic in those areas and it has probably reached epidemic proportions in those islands; but Antigua at the moment is not experiencing any dengue fever cases.”

Cases of dengue are normally recorded between October and December, and January and April.

The Chief Health Inspector said the Aedes aegypti mosquito transmits the fever and he is calling for householders to join the fight against the virus.

To do so, he said they must “ensure their water containers are covered in a manner that would not enable the mosquitoes to get access.”

He added, “We are vigilant. We are taking note of what’s happening in the other islands.  We are beefing up our programme in Antigua.  We are intensifying our programme because we don’t want any dengue cases at all, and we are trying out best not to have any.”