WoodPulp…Belize

BELIZE

NUMBER OF REPORTED DENGUE CASES CONTINUES TO RISE, July 22, 2010

Dengue fever is reaching epidemic status across the Caribbean and Belize.  With several hundred confirmed cases reported in Belize so far this year, health care professionals are concerned it could get much worse as the rainy season advances.  And although the Ministry of Health has not been saying much about the huge jump in reported cases, doctors from the private sector are saying that it is considered an epidemic because of the increase in cases over a localized geographic area.  Doctor Victor Rosado tells us more.

Victor Rosado; Paediatrician

“We had an increased number of dengue cases over the past two months. The numbers show that as opposed to previous years there is an epidemic. The definition of an epidemic is that you have an increased number more than what you expect to have in a certain population.  I don’t think we have the exact answers as to why this is happening but we must understand that it is a disease that is transmitted by a mosquito and our population has not changed its demographics for the past year.  This means that we need to look at the vector and see what is happening.  Why is the mosquito transmitting more dengue?  Is it becoming resistant to the methods that we have traditionally been using.”

During the first seven months of this year, 410 clinical cases of dengue were reported by the Ministry of Health, with one fatality.  Health officials say there is no exact answer as to why the hike in reported cases but they are saying that the traditional methods being used to treat the vector, which is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is not as effective as it used to be.  The boost in cases is being blamed on warm weather and the early rainy season, which has produced an explosion of mosquitoes.  Ethan Gough, National Epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health also gave us his insight on the matter.

Ethan Gough; National Epidemiologist, Ministry of Health

“The truth is any excess in the number of cases of a particular disease above what you would normally expect is an epidemic.  Environment conditions…countries throughout the Americas right now are dealing with dengue outbreaks, dengue epidemic; whatever you want to call it. Countries throughout the Americas are dealing with an increased number of cases of dengue; Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Puerto Rico and Mexico.  Our rainy season just started so with increased rain fall we will get an increased number of cases and it is just the overall environmental conditions that allow the mosquito to breathe more readily that are contributing to an increase of cases.”