Trinidad & Tobago : Dengue outbreak

From Guardian, dengue cases are increasing :

" A dengue outbreak has been declared in T&T. The confirmed deaths of three people due to the virus, unconfirmed deaths of two others and more than 600 reported cases of dengue prompted chief medical officer Dr Anton Cumberbatch to make the declaration yesterday. Speaking during a news conference at the Ministry of Health’s Park Street office, Port-of-Spain, Cumberbatch said the number of reported cases of dengue could be more than 600, as private health institution were not reporting clinical cases to the ministry. “The rainy season lasts until December and we are in July, so this is not going to go away any time soon,” he said. “The rate of increase is at outbreak rate. “We may not have reached the numbers as before, but we have to declare that we have an outbreak going on.”

Dengue is spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito which survives and breeds in clear water. Among the symptoms of dengue fever include headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands and rash. Other signs include bleeding gums, severe pain behind the eyes, and red palms and soles. Cumberbatch said although there were clusters of dengue cases reported in specific areas, people living in other areas without such cases should not feel they are out of danger. He said of the five deaths, four occurred in South Trinidad.

161 cases in South

Chief executive officer of the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) Paula Chester-Cumberbatch said up to Thursday, 161 people were treated for dengue at the San Fernando General Hospital. She said this was compared to the 63 people treated in June. She said areas with prevalent cases of dengue were Marabella, San Fernando, Claxton Bay and Gasparillo. Cumberbatch said if citizens did not take the threat of the virus seriously, T&T would never get over the problem. He said dengue had been affecting T&T for the past 30 years, but because of the climate changes, the pattern has changed."