Woodpulp…Jamaica

JAMAICA

77 dengue cases by ALICIA DUNKLEY Senior staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com, Wednesday, August 04, 2010

JAMAICA recorded 77 laboratory-confirmed dengue cases up to July 24, as the virus continues its march across Central American and Caribbean countries.

Health Minister Rudyard Spencer told journalists at a press briefing at Jamaica House in Kingston yesterday that of the 77 cases, seven have been confirmed as of the more severe form of the illness — the dengue haemorragic fever. Spencer, however, said no cases of dengue shock syndrome have been reported so far nor any related deaths.

The parishes of Kingston and St Andrew account for 12 of the 77 cases, Portland two, St Mary five, St Ann four, St James four, Hanover two, St Elizabeth three, Manchester 14, Clarendon eight, and St Catherine 11. The location of the others were not ascertained.

There have still been no laboratory-confirmed cases for Trelawny, St Thomas and Westmoreland.

The health ministry, said Spencer, is on high alert in light of the growing number of cases of dengue fever and dengue haemorragic fever in the country and region. Consequently, he said, all parishes have intensified their fogging and oiling activities. Fogging is being carried out in approximately 800 communities across the island.

The minister said the ministry will also be launching a comprehensive public education programme to alert persons to the dangers of and preventative actions on dengue. He said a community youth dengue prevention intervention programme has also been developed, under which it is proposed that 1,200 young persons receive training to go into approximately 150 high-risk communities to provide house-to-house dengue prevention information and identify and destroy breeding sites.

Spencer, while reluctant to divulge how much it would cost to conduct the activities, admitted that it “would be a substantial amount and will cost a pretty penny”. He, however, said monies have had to be diverted from other programmes to assist in the preventative efforts.

Meanwhile, the chief medical officer, Dr Sheila Campbell Forrester has assured that the health team is equipped to manage cases of dengue fever and are on high alert for signs and symptoms of the illness.

And Director of Emergency Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse said the National Emergency Centre has been activated to direct and co-ordinate the prevention and control activities for dengue fever.[...]

Health Minister Urges Public Support for Anti-Dengue Efforts |KINGSTON (JIS): Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Minister of Health Minister, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, is urging the public to co-operate with Ministry’s health workers involved in vector control and other activities associated with the elimination of Dengue Fever.

As a precautionary measure, he has encouraged persons to ensure that water storage containers are covered, as they are found to be major breeding sites for mosquitoes.  He has also asked persons to cover other containers in which water can settle, to keep them dry, clean them regularly, fill them with soil or sand, punch holes in them or dispose of them.   He said that particularly important was that, during fogging exercises, residents open doors and windows so that mosquitoes in the homes can be eliminated.

“Persons should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by using insect repellent, mosquito nets, mosquito destroyers or putting screens on windows and doors.  Make sure that children wear protective clothing, such as socks, long sleeved shirts, or blouses and long pants,” Mr. Spencer said.

He was speaking at a press conference at Jamaica House Tuesday (August 3), to discuss the Ministry’s Dengue Fever preparedness and vector control activities.

“We are appealing to members of the public, not to wait until your symptoms become severe.  If you…have any reason to believe you, or a family member, may have Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome, you…need to go to your nearest hospital,” the CMO said.  Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Sheila Campbell Forrester, encouraged the public to seek medical attention, once they have identified symptoms, or think they have been infected with Dengue, particularly in its more severe forms – Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome.

Dr. Campbell-Forrester said that persons have been complaining of Dengue-like illnesses islandwide, but assured that the Ministry’s health team was equipped to manage cases and was on the alert for signs and symptoms of the illness.[...]

As of July 24, there have been 77 laboratory cases of Dengue in Jamaica, while there have been seven confirmed cases of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever.  Additionally, all parishes have reported experiencing increased cases of Dengue Fever, since the start of the year.  However, there have been no confirmed laboratory cases for Trelawny, St. Thomas and Westmoreland.[...]

“Children, as well as adults, who had Dengue before, are more at risk of getting Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever and Dengue Shock Syndrome,” she cautioned.[...]

She said that while there is no drug or cure for Dengue, or currently recognised vaccine to prevent it, efforts can be made to reduce the population of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito by ridding the environment of possible breeding sites for these insects.

“Prevention and control measures cannot be successfully undertaken by the Ministry of Health only, individuals will have to play a role to ensure that their environment is free of breeding sites for mosquitoes,” the CMO said.

Jamaicans Urged to Remain Vigilant to Prevent Dengue Outbreak | KINGSTON (JIS): Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Director of Environmental Health in the Ministry of Health, William Broughton, is reminding persons to remain vigilant to prevent a possible outbreak of dengue fever. Speaking with JIS News, Mr. Broughton said that community action will be integral to successfully preventing an outbreak of the virus in Jamaica and called for persons to become inspectors of their own environs in order to detect and destroy all possible mosquito breeding sites. Outlining key preventive measures, he advised persons to keep house plants in damp soil instead of water, avoid over-watering potted plants and to keep flower pot saucers dry.  He also asked that persons keep grass short and shrubbery well trimmed in order to reduce havens for adult mosquitoes. “Anywhere in and around the house where water can settle, mosquitoes will lay their eggs and breed, so we are asking for everyone to be their own inspectors to search for these areas and destroy these breeding places,” he pointed out. In addition, Mr. Broughton urged persons to cover all trash containers, ensure that all drums, barrels and other containers used to store water are properly closed.  ”Also, around the house, you may have old tyres, tins, bottles, coconut shells and anything in which rain water can settle, we are asking you to keep them out of the rain so that they do not store water,” he said. Persons are also asked to keep drains and ditches clear of weeds and trash to allow for water to flow freely, and to scout their communities for possible breeding sites and inform the relevant authorities so that these areas can be cleaned. Mr. Broughton said that the Ministry will be relying heavily on the assistance of agencies such as the National Water Commission, the Parish Councils, the National Solid Waste Management Agency (NSWMA) and the Social Development Commission (SDC) to clean and oil drains, and to educate persons about dengue prevention measures. The Ministry of Health remains on high alert for cases of dengue fever, following an outbreak and reported dengue-related deaths in two neighbouring Caribbean territories. Public education activities have been ramped up, with Vector Control Officers visiting communities and health centres in all parishes to advise persons about the threat.  Fliers and other educational material on preventing the breeding of mosquitoes are distributed at each session. Mr. Broughton told JIS News that the Ministry has been distributing insectides, oil and other vital resources to residents, while fogging is also being done. He said that surveillance activities at the port of entry have been strengthened.  He explained that aircrafts are routinely sprayed to ensure that they are free of mosquitoes.  ”They are not sprayed everytime and if mosquitoes should get in there the residual spraying should get rid of them,” he told JIS News. “Internationally the mosquito index should be zero at our ports of entry as people from all over the world come to our ports, especially our airports.  So, we ensure that the staff there under the airport management gets rid of all possible mosquito breeding places,” he added. Dengue Fever is caused by a virus spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The Health Ministry is currently reviewing surveillance data to ascertain whether confirmed cases of dengue are above the endemic level. Director, Disease Prevention and Control, Dr. Sonia Copeland, informed that Jamaica has confirmed cases of dengue fever every year.  ”Once the number goes above the endemic level then we are at risk to having an epidemic,” she explained. DENGUE DRIVE BITES INTO GOV’T COFFERS |PUBLISHED: TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2010 | NADISHA HUNTER,GLEANER WRITER A MAJOR THRUST BY THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH TO PREVENT A DENGUE OUTBREAK IN THE ISLAND IS PUTTING AN ENORMOUS STRAIN ON THE STATE’S COFFERS, THE GLEANER HAS LEARNT. DR SHEILA CAMPBELL-FORRESTER, JAMAICA’S CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, SAID YESTERDAY THAT THE MINISTRY HAS SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON FOGGING, CLEARING BREEDING SITES AND CARRYING OUT PUBLIC-EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN APPROXIMATELY 300 COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE. “IT IS COSTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO CONTROL THE MOSQUITOES, WITH INSECTICIDE ALONE COSTING $1 MILLION,” SHE SAID. CAMPBELL REVEALED THAT 70 PERSONS HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH THE DISEASE ISLANDWIDE SINCE THE START OF THE YEAR, WHICH HAS SET OFF ALARM BELLS. THERE HAS BEEN A SPIKE IN DENGUE FEVER CASES IN A NUMBER OF CARIBBEAN TERRITORIES. MORE THAN 15,000 CASES HAVE BEEN DETECTED IN THE AMERICAS, WITH APPROXIMATELY 3,000 BEING RULED SEVERE AND 79 DEATHS REPORTED. THIS PROMPTED THE MINISTRY, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE PAN-AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANISATION, TO ROLL OUT A DENGUE PREVENTION AND CONTROL PUBLIC-EDUCATION PROGRAMME TO HEIGHTEN AWARENESS. THE HEALTH MINISTRY HAS ALSO HEIGHTENED ITS SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE ISLAND. PORTMORE INITIATIVE SPECIAL INTERVENTION HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR PORTMORE, WHERE MOSQUITOES CONTINUE TO PLAGUE RESIDENTS. CAMPBELL-FORRESTER SAID THE MINISTRY WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO ROLLING OUT A NEW STRATEGY TO RID THE SPRAWLING ST CATHERINE QUASI-CITY OF THE PESTS. “WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF COMING UP WITH NEW STRATEGIES FOR PORTMORE, BECAUSE THE MOSQUITOES THERE ARE A NUISANCE. THERE ARE BREEDING SITES THERE THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH, SO IT IS A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL,” SHE SAID. BUT CAMPBELL-FORRESTER SAID WHILE THE MINISTRY WAS IMPLEMENTING PREVENTATIVE MEASURES, HOUSEHOLDERS HAVE A MAJOR ROLE TO PLAY.  SHE CALLED ON RESIDENTS OF THE SUNSHINE CITY TO RID THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESS PLACES OF BREEDING SITES. DENGUE FEVER IS CAUSED BY A VIRUS TRANSMITTED FROM THE AEDES AEGYPTI MOSQUITO TO HUMANS.  ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, SYMPTOMS INCLUDE A HIGH FEVER, HEADACHE, PAIN BEHIND THE EYES, A RASH AND BACK PAIN. PERSONS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING SUCH SYMPTOMS ARE ADVISED TO VISIT THEIR HEALTH-CARE PROVIDER SO THAT THEY CAN BE ACCURATELY DIAGNOSED. MINISTRY OF HEALTH PREPARED FOR DENGUE OUBREAK | KINGSTON (JIS), FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2010 Her statement follows the reported increase in Dengue Fever cases in a number of Caribbean territories, which has prompted the Ministry of Health (MOH), with the assistance of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to roll out a Dengue Prevention and Control Public Education programme to heighten awareness of the prevention measures. Speaking Thursday July 22 at a JIS Think Tank session, Dr. Copeland noted that the Ministry has heightened surveillance activities across the island. Health facilities, she states, are equipped with medication for symptomatic treatment and will be able to deal with possible complications. “The Ministry has been scaling up surveillance to detect undifferentiated fever, which they cannot attribute to any specific cause, and the Ministry of Health has been sampling specimen for patients to check for Dengue,” she informed. She noted that new clinicians in the public health system have been trained to identify signs and symptoms of Dengue and treatment protocols.  The MOH Official has also highlighted the pivotal role that community participation must play in preventing the spread of the fever. “Vector Control activity is very expensive and it is labour intensive, and that’s why in many countries the shift is to intensify community participation.  It is much more cost effective and sustainable to have persons take care of their immediate environment and reduce the breeding sites,” Dr. Copeland noted. The Environmental Health Department of the Ministry is working assiduously to ensure control of the breeding sites of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.  Reiterating the call for increased community participation, MOH Director of Environmental Health, William Broughton, appealed to persons to regularly inspect their surroundings and destroy any apparent breeding sites. “People in their homes have a better idea of what’s happening on the premises than somebody coming in, so we are encouraging them to search for all the possible places where mosquitoes can breed,” he stated. Mr. Broughton called on persons to practise preventive measures, such as proper storage of water and garbage disposal measures. “If you have to store water, store it properly; cover the containers and get rid of solid wastes, especially the tyres, so we won’t have any place for water to collect or mosquitoes to breed,” he said. He added that fogging of mosquitoes by the Health Departments only “gets rid of mosquitoes on wings.”  Persons should therefore assist the health department in finding and destroying breeding sites. Director, Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sonia Copeland, says that the Ministry is in a high stage of preparedness to detect and treat Dengue Fever, should there be an outbreak.

Dengue danger by The Jamaica Gleaner, July 19  2010

Dengue fever outbreaks have reached crisis proportions in several countries across the Caribbean, leaving dozens of persons dead.

The increase in cases is being blamed on warm weather and unusually early rainy seasons, which have led to an explosion in mosquitoes, health officials across the region have reported.

However, in an interview with The Gleaneryesterday, the Ministry of Health’s director of emergency, disaster management and special services, Dr Marion Bullock-DuCasse, said her ministry is monitoring the situation and that there was no cause for concern for Jamaica at this time.

Deaths in Dom Rep

In the meantime, health officials in the affected countries are reporting that the flood of cases is putting a strain on a number of hospitals where cases are treated.  At least 27 deaths have been reported in the Dominican Republic.

On Saturday, hundreds of health workers and soldiers went door to door warning locals about the virus and destroying mosquito-breeding areas.  There are reports that hospitals in Trinidad are running out of bed space and Puerto Rico is facing what officials say could be the worst dengue outbreak in more than a decade.

At least five people have died in Puerto Rico and another 6, 300 cases suspected.

On Friday, officials at the San Fernando General Hospital in Trinidad added 15 beds to the hospital wards to accommodate the influx of cases.  A dengue clinic was also opened to follow up on patients discharged quickly to free up more beds. At least one death has been reported in that country.