By Admin. Updated 10:45 a.m., Tuesday, September 3, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
The main information arm of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – the Agency for Public Information (API) has reported that this country now has over 600 confirmed cases of Dengue.
In a September 3 press release, the API said: “According to Public Health Officials, Dengue cases continue to rise with over 6 hundred total confirmed cases”.
The API said the Public Health Department continues to increase fogging and source reduction operations throughout the country in an effort to reduce the breeding of the Aedes Egypti mosquitoes, the vector for Dengue.
The Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which is the vector for Dengue, typically bites during the daytime hours when persons are active. Therefore, bites can occur at home, work and school, the API said.
The Ministry of Education has already issued an advisory allowing for light-coloured clothing to be worn by students outside of the regular uniform, the API said.
The department also shared some vector control measures, as follows.
The Ministry of Health is urging the public to co-operate with Vector Control personnel as well as to do their part in reducing the breeding and spread of mosquitoes.
This can be done by removing stagnant water from their premises, cover drums or containers where water is stored, dispose of all unwanted articles, such as tireswhich can collect water and become mosquito breeding grounds, cut down and remove all bush or undergrowth that can harbour mosquitoes and clean drains and guttering to allow for the free flow of water.
Dengue outbreak
On August 2, the health ministry announced that there was a dengue outbreak in SVG.
Back then, it said: “The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment (MOHWE) has recorded a total of 119 Dengue Fever cases thus far in 2024, of which 23 were in June and 82 cases in July. Based on the epidemiological data, the number of lab confirmed cases of dengue fever has exceeded the threshold of the number expected indicating that there is a dengue fever outbreak in St Vincent and the Grenadines.”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC said:
The most common symptom of dengue is feverwith any of the following, including aches and pains (eye pain, typically behind the eyes, muscle, joint, or bone pain), nausea, vomiting, rash, and any warning sign.
The CDC said mild symptoms of dengue can be confused with other illnesses that cause fever. Symptoms of dengue typically last 2–7 days, and most people will recover after about a week.
The CDC has also provided guidance on when dengue can be an emergency. It said:
Symptoms of dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe dengue is a medical emergency.
About 1 in 20 people who get sick with dengue will develop severe dengue. Severe dengue can result in shock, internal bleeding, and death.
Iimmediately go to a local clinic or emergency room if you or a family member has any of the following symptoms, which include belly pain or tenderness vomiting (at least 3 times in 24 hours) bleeding from the nose or gums, vomiting blood, or blood in the stool, and feeling extremely tired or restless.
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