Dengue Fever in Guyana

[Gert van der Hoek]

Malaria, dengue cases in hinterland `over-diagnosed' -Health Ministry

Friday, May 18th 2007

Following reports of a rise in malaria and dengue cases in the hinterland, the Ministry of Health dispatched two medical teams to suspected areas and is reporting a case of over-diagnosis.

Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said checks by the teams have found some exaggeration in the numbers.

"We believe the reported increase may be a case of over-diagnosing, but this is not a trivial matter either. Over-diagnosis occurs in many other countries, but it a dangerous situation," the minister said.

He said at the time of diagnosis the person would have been affected by some ailment, which would have been missed with the malaria/ dengue diagnosis and would not have been treated. In light of this, he said, the ministry is paying much attention to the situation.

A release from the ministry said a team was deployed to Batavia, a riverain community near Bartica, where an increased number of malaria cases was suspected. Another team was sent to Aranaka to check on reports of an increase in dengue.

The ministry said the reports of malaria are inconsistent with the Malaria Department's recent findings, which revealed a reduction in malaria cases nationally. However the team sent to Batavia will also conduct screening in nearby areas in Regions Seven and Eight. These include Agatash, Aranaka, Kartabo, Karau and Itaballi.

It was noted that during the implementation of the ministry's quality control programme Batavia was identified as one of the areas where the reported positive cases were inflated over the past two months.

According to a release, the ministry received word of a suspected dengue increase at Aranaka from miners who frequent the area. The team sent in is equipped to do on-site testing for dengue and will take samples as well for malaria and filariasis testing, which will be brought to Georgetown for reading and quality control.

The team to Aranaka took some 500 impregnated bed nets to distribute to the 1,500-strong population in the area.

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56520470

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Report on dengue in Guyana

Re: Report on dengue in Guyana

Guyana's opposition calls for investigation into possible dengue fever epidemic

Published on Friday, May 18, 2007


By Gordon French

Caribbean Net News Guyana Correspondent

Email: gordon@caribbeannetnews.com

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The main opposition party in Guyana has urged the health ministry here to investigate the increased incidents of dengue fever cases, fearing that the South American nation maybe on the brink of an outbreak.

The Ministry of Health, through its Vector Control Department has deployed health teams to verify reports about suspected increases in malaria and dengue cases in Amerindian settlements.

The People?s National Congress Reform (PNCR) said that it has received numerous complaints from its supporters and other citizens about a medical condition which has afflicted numerous people and which may even have been responsible for the deaths of others.

Many of the persons, the party said, complained of flu-like symptoms with high fever, pain in the eyes and about the body, the loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting and tiredness. Children seem particularly vulnerable to this condition and many have had to be treated, the party stated.

?In the circumstances the PNCR is calling on the government to do all that is necessary so that a possibility that this condition might be dengue fever is ruled out,? the PNCR stated.

According to the PNCR, dengue fever is now reaching the peak of a five-year cycle and media reports confirmed an outbreak in Latin America and the Caribbean.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-1577--13-13--.html

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Report on dengue in Guyana

Re: Report on dengue in Guyana

Dengue fever cases at Lethem -health officer


By Oluatoyin Alleyne

Friday, June 22nd 2007

Cases of dengue fever have been reported in the Lethem area, but while authorities are seeing many persons with signs and symptoms they have no kits to test them, Acting Regional Health Officer (RHO) Eugene Xavier says.

The issue was brought to the attention of Stabroek News yesterday by way of an email from a concerned citizen. When contacted, Xavier confirmed that there was a number of cases. He said up to last week Friday they had kits and they had confirmed some 11 cases, but the kits have run out. Since then, they have seen a number of persons with signs and symptoms who have come up negative for malaria when tested. He said this means that more than likely, those persons have dengue fever, but there is no way to prove this.

Stabroek News attempted to contact Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy, but was told he was out of the country. Minister in the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran was said to be at a meeting and a message was left with his secretary who promised to return the call. Further calls to his office revealed that he was not available. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Rudolph Cummings was also not available.

Contact was made with Director of Disease Control Services Dr Shamdeo Persaud, who told Stabroek News that he had not heard any such reports. He said usually the ministry would contact RHOs and collect data on a weekly basis and it had not received any such reports. He expressed surprise that officials could say definitively that it was dengue fever, since, according to him, confirmatory tests for dengue had to be done by the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC).

He said the kits to which Xavier referred were used to test for antibodies. If a person was exposed to any of the viruses that cause dengue fever previously, the antibody would show up. As a result one should wait until the definitive test was done by CAREC to diagnose dengue.

Persaud explained that if his department was informed it would have advised the region's officials on vector control measures since there was no specific medication for treating dengue fever. The public would be advised to cover their water supply since the Aedes mosquito, which transmits the disease, thrives in fresh water. Also, the public would be advised to use insect repellent and mosquito nets to minimize being bitten by mosquitoes. Dr Persaud had promised to contact the regional officials and had advised this reporter to call him back but when calls were placed to his office he was not there.

According to Xavier, no one was hospitalised at the moment, but the situation was worrying. He said persons were treated for some of the symptoms and since most of them live in Lethem they were being monitored. He said that the neighbouring Brazilian town, Bon Fim, did not have a dengue outbreak. On Wednesday he met the town's Chamber of Commerce head who informed that while there were cases of malaria there was no dengue fever. The authorities there were said to be in the process of fogging the area. The acting RHO expressed the need to have the Lethem area fogged as well.

Dengue fever

Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain. The severity of the joint pain has given dengue the name "breakbone fever." Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears three to four days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to ten days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Older children and adults are usually sicker than young children.

Most dengue infections result in relatively mild illness, but some can progress to dengue haemorrhagic fever. With dengue haemorrhagic fever, the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Bruising can be a sign of bleeding inside the body. Without prompt treatment, the blood vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome). Dengue haemorrhagic fever is fatal in about five percent of cases, mostly among children and young adults.

There is no specific treatment for dengue. Persons with dengue fever should rest and drink plenty of fluids. They should be kept away from mosquitoes for the protection of others. Dengue haemorrhagic fever is treated by replacing lost fluids. Some patients need transfusions to control bleeding.

It is very important to avoid aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. These drugs are often used to treat pain and fever, but in this case, they may actually aggravate the bleeding tendency associated with some of these infections. If dengue is suspected, patients should receive instead acetaminophen preparations to deal with these symptoms.

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56522970

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Report on dengue in Guyana

Re: Report on dengue in Guyana

Guyana: suspected

Date: 22 Jun 2007

Source: Stabroek News [edited]
<http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56522970>


Cases of dengue fever have been reported in the
Lethem area, but while authorities are seeing
many persons with signs and symptoms they have no
kits to test them, Acting Regional Health Officer
(RHO) Eugene Xavier says.

When contacted, Xavier confirmed that there was a
number of cases. He said up to last week Friday
[15 Jun 2007] they had kits and they had
confirmed some 11 cases, but the kits have run
out. Since then, they have seen a number of
persons with signs and symptoms who have come up
negative for malaria when tested. He said this
means that more than likely, those persons have
dengue fever, but there is no way to prove this.

Contact was made with Director of Disease Control
Services, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, who told Stabroek
News that he had not heard any such reports. He
said usually the ministry would contact RHOs and
collect data on a weekly basis and it had not
received any such reports. He expressed surprise
that officials could say definitively that it was
dengue fever, since, according to him,
confirmatory tests for dengue had to be done by
the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC).

He said the kits to which Xavier referred were
used to test for antibodies. If a person was
exposed to any of the viruses that cause dengue
fever previously, the antibody would show up. As
a result one should wait until the definitive
test was done by CAREC to diagnose dengue.

Persaud explained that if his department was
informed it would have advised the region's
officials on vector control measures since there
was no specific medication for treating dengue
fever. The public would be advised to cover their
water supply since the _Aedes_ mosquito, which
transmits the disease, thrives in fresh water.
Also, the public would be advised to use insect
repellent and mosquito nets to minimize being
bitten by mosquitoes. Dr. Persaud had promised to
contact the regional officials and had advised
this reporter to call him back but when calls
were placed to his office he was not there.

According to Xavier, no one was hospitalised at
the moment, but the situation was worrying. He
said persons were treated for some of the
symptoms and since most of them live in Lethem
they were being monitored. He said that the
neighbouring Brazilian town, Bon Fim, did not
have a dengue outbreak. On Wednesday [20 Jun
2007] he met the town's Chamber of Commerce head
who informed that while there were cases of
malaria there was no dengue fever. The
authorities there were said to be in the process
of fogging the area. The acting RHO expressed the
need to have the Lethem area fogged as well.

[Byline: Oluatoyin Alleyne]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Brent Barrett

[ProMED requests additional information on this
suspected dengue outbreak as it becomes
available. A diagnosis based on serology done on
single samples not involving IgG capture is not
adequate to establish dengue virus etiology of
these suspected cases. Flaviviruses, the family
to which dengue virus belongs, are notoriously
cross-reactive in serological tests.

A map of Guyana can be accessed at:
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/guyana.gif>. - Mod.TY]

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/prome..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,38227

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Report on dengue in Guyana

Re: Report on dengue in Guyana

Guyana on alert as dengue cases confirmed


Published on Friday, May 30, 2008

By Kevin Lindon

Caribbean Net News Guyana Correspondent

Email: kevin@caribbeannetnews.com

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Guyana’s ministry of health has called on residents to remain alert as a result of 12 confirmed cases of dengue fever in region nine, Lethem, close to the Guyana-Brazil border.

Health minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said over the past month there have been a number of reported cases of fever in the region nine area.

“Over the last four weeks the Ministry has noted the increase of reported fever cases from Region 9, especially Lethem, and investigation revealed that these cases were not due to malaria. A test for dengue fever confirmed that some 12 cases were as a result of recent infection with the dengue virus and were among persons in and around Lethem,” the minister said.

The minister added that cases occur sporadically in Georgetown and all the coastal regions but more so in the Lethem area of Region 9 and the public has been advised that care must be taken to avoid mosquito bites.

“The Ministry is recommending the use of mosquito nets and, if possible, insecticide treated nets must be used, especially by pregnant women and children under 5 years. Everyone should sleep under a net,” a release from the health ministry outlined.

According to health officials, the use of insect repellents can prevent mosquito bites if used as recommended and residents are being urged to use protective clothing, especially while being outdoors at night, and to avoid dark colours since they attract mosquitoes.

Dengue is a growing problem in many parts of the Americas and, if not controlled immediately, can cause serious health problem. The most effective way of controlling dengue is to eliminate the breeding sites of dengue mosquitoes and avoid being bitten.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-8186--13-13--.html

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Dengue Fever in Guyana

Dengue fever diagnosed in 126 residents of Guyana's hinterland


Published on Friday, November 21, 2008

By Oscar Ramjeet
Caribbean Net News Special Correspondent
Email: oscar@caribbeannetnews.com

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Dengue fever has been diagnosed in 126 residents in the Rupununi area of Guyana's hinterland. The viral disease is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and manifests itself in fever, rashes, headaches and severe muscle and joint pains.

According to the Guyana Chronicle, 171 persons are suffering from fever and 126 of them, mainly in the Lethem and Annai areas, have been diagnosed with dengue. Those affected are between the ages of 14 and 34.

The Regional Chairman for region 9, Clarindo Lucas, is working to control dengue in the areas. He has initiated steps to fog periodically and to ensure that there is no stagnant water.

He has also launched an educational programme aimed at prevention.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-12371--13-13--.html

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Dengue Fever in Guyana

Guyana threatened by dengue fever outbreak


Published on Friday, December 5, 2008

By Oscar Ramjeet

Caribbean Net News Special Correspondent

Email: oscar@caribbeannetnews.com

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Guyana is under threat of a massive dengue fever outbreak and, if this is to be averted, it will take a collaborative effort on the part of all concerned.

This was the view of Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy in urging Guyanese residents to work to avoid what could become a catastrophic situation.

The Kaieteur News reported that dengue fever has persisted and even increased in the Americas during this year and reports have shown that the number of cases in neighbouring Trinidad has been steadily increasing,

Increased cross border activities with countries such as Brazil has primarily been responsible for Guyana also seeing an upsurge in cases recently.

This region still remains a "hot spot" for the disease and the Health Ministry has said that it was closely monitoring the situation.

However, because of consistent travel around the country, dengue cases have been reported on the coastland and within Georgetown.

While the Health Ministry is working to tackle the problem and has implemented a number of initiatives, Ramsammy pointed out that everyone had to take responsibility for averting the outbreak. He reiterated that the only way to prevent dengue virus transmission was to combat the disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne infection that causes a severe flu-like illness, and sometimes a potentially lethal complication called dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF).

"The mosquito that causes dengue fever lives in our yards ... in the water that accumulates in old tyres and containers that we leave lying around," Ramsammy said.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/article.php?news_id=12678