Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
DENGUE WATCH ...
Wednesday November 05 2008
by Precious Mills
Information reaching Sun St. Kitts/Nevis has indicated that there could be two cases of dengue fever in St. Kitts.
The disclosure was made by acting Chief Environmental Health Officer, in the Ministry of Health, Elton Morton, during an exclusive interview yesterday.
He said the hurricane season (June to November) is the period for the breeding of mosquitoes.
?We have a couple of suspected cases so far for the year. They are being treated and the blood samples are being sent to CAREC. No vaccines are available for dengue but travellers can protect themselves by using anti (protection measures),? he revealed.
According to him, ?We had a big outbreak in 2001 and may have one or two cases over the years.
?I think between 2004 and 2007, we went down to like one case and this year we have seen a couple of cases which mostly likely would be dengue.
?We know doctors would have an idea with the symptoms, but we have to confirm it with the blood test sample sent to CAREC (Caribbean Epidemiology Centre).
?I?m most certain that some of them would be confirmed in being positive ?.dengue is around and we are close to St. Maarten ?,? alluding to the frequently shopping trips made there by Kittitians and Nevisians.
Morton told the SUN about the symptoms that include high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain and rash, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, an aftertaste sensation.
He further added that treatment is expensive since the medication will have to brought in from overseas. He, therefore, emphasised that protection is essential.
He said a rash may appear three to four days after the onset of fever and may spread from the torso to the arm, legs and face and the disease is usually denying and self-limiting about seven days which signals the normal dengue infection.
Morton spoke about the bleeding associated with dengue haemorrhagic fever. He said there is ?a lot of bleeding specific to the bowels.
?Dengue may also present as a severe and fatal haemorrhagic disease, called dengue haemorrhagic fever.
?There is no specific treatment for dengue infection and dengue haemorrhagic fever normally lasts for more than seven days and it can also lead to the death of the patient.?
As indicated by the acting chief environmental health officer, the principal vector mosquito can be found among humans in most tropical countries. According to him, mosquito biting activity is greatest in the morning, during hours after day break, and late afternoons. He added that the mosquito may feed all day indoors in shady areas or when it is overcast.
Morton appealed to individuals (including mothers who have young babies) to go to the doctor for fever cases.
?If you suspect that you have dengue fever there are certain things that you must do like rest and drink plenty of fluids, consult your doctor.? Additionally, he explained, that individuals should avoid taking aspirin but rather paracetamol, since aspirins contain a chemical that adds to the thinning of blood leading to further bleeding.
The acting chief environmental health officer advised homeowners to get rid of objects that can hold water, apply repellent, wear long sleeved clothes, carefully use insecticide aerosol in open areas and sleep at night in mosquitoes net.
Controlling adult mosquitoes is important, noting that it is challenging to get rid of the aedes mosquitoes in general.
?We have Guyanese and Trinidadians coming here in and out so we know the virus is going to reach here. People from here will be going to St. Maarten and (may) bring back the virus; we have stepped up now ?.in terms of some of the control methods we are using.?
He spoke about the yearly public mosquito control measures. ?We are doing the fogging at nights, covering the entire island. We can?t cover the entire island but over a week ago we have covered most areas.?
Asked if the virus can be contracted from human to human, he clarified that ?a mosquito has to bite you to give you the virus. That is why we have to control the mosquito. We control the mosquito, no mosquito, no dengue as simple as that. So you can?t get it from person to person.?
Finally, he urged homeowners to help in ensuring that the mosquito population is kept under control by getting rid of old tyres, drums, tins and barrels where these mosquitoes breed.
?I just want to ask all homeowners to check their premises, make sure you don?t have any containers that can hold water ?.Let us try to keep the mosquito population down to a low level.
?Once dengue is here it would not be an outbreak, too many people would not come down with it because we?ll have the mosquito population under control.?
http://sunstkitts.com/paper/?asknw=...09058911062008&an=111611089311042008&ac=Local
Wednesday November 05 2008
by Precious Mills
Information reaching Sun St. Kitts/Nevis has indicated that there could be two cases of dengue fever in St. Kitts.
The disclosure was made by acting Chief Environmental Health Officer, in the Ministry of Health, Elton Morton, during an exclusive interview yesterday.
He said the hurricane season (June to November) is the period for the breeding of mosquitoes.
?We have a couple of suspected cases so far for the year. They are being treated and the blood samples are being sent to CAREC. No vaccines are available for dengue but travellers can protect themselves by using anti (protection measures),? he revealed.
According to him, ?We had a big outbreak in 2001 and may have one or two cases over the years.
?I think between 2004 and 2007, we went down to like one case and this year we have seen a couple of cases which mostly likely would be dengue.
?We know doctors would have an idea with the symptoms, but we have to confirm it with the blood test sample sent to CAREC (Caribbean Epidemiology Centre).
?I?m most certain that some of them would be confirmed in being positive ?.dengue is around and we are close to St. Maarten ?,? alluding to the frequently shopping trips made there by Kittitians and Nevisians.
Morton told the SUN about the symptoms that include high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain and rash, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, an aftertaste sensation.
He further added that treatment is expensive since the medication will have to brought in from overseas. He, therefore, emphasised that protection is essential.
He said a rash may appear three to four days after the onset of fever and may spread from the torso to the arm, legs and face and the disease is usually denying and self-limiting about seven days which signals the normal dengue infection.
Morton spoke about the bleeding associated with dengue haemorrhagic fever. He said there is ?a lot of bleeding specific to the bowels.
?Dengue may also present as a severe and fatal haemorrhagic disease, called dengue haemorrhagic fever.
?There is no specific treatment for dengue infection and dengue haemorrhagic fever normally lasts for more than seven days and it can also lead to the death of the patient.?
As indicated by the acting chief environmental health officer, the principal vector mosquito can be found among humans in most tropical countries. According to him, mosquito biting activity is greatest in the morning, during hours after day break, and late afternoons. He added that the mosquito may feed all day indoors in shady areas or when it is overcast.
Morton appealed to individuals (including mothers who have young babies) to go to the doctor for fever cases.
?If you suspect that you have dengue fever there are certain things that you must do like rest and drink plenty of fluids, consult your doctor.? Additionally, he explained, that individuals should avoid taking aspirin but rather paracetamol, since aspirins contain a chemical that adds to the thinning of blood leading to further bleeding.
The acting chief environmental health officer advised homeowners to get rid of objects that can hold water, apply repellent, wear long sleeved clothes, carefully use insecticide aerosol in open areas and sleep at night in mosquitoes net.
Controlling adult mosquitoes is important, noting that it is challenging to get rid of the aedes mosquitoes in general.
?We have Guyanese and Trinidadians coming here in and out so we know the virus is going to reach here. People from here will be going to St. Maarten and (may) bring back the virus; we have stepped up now ?.in terms of some of the control methods we are using.?
He spoke about the yearly public mosquito control measures. ?We are doing the fogging at nights, covering the entire island. We can?t cover the entire island but over a week ago we have covered most areas.?
Asked if the virus can be contracted from human to human, he clarified that ?a mosquito has to bite you to give you the virus. That is why we have to control the mosquito. We control the mosquito, no mosquito, no dengue as simple as that. So you can?t get it from person to person.?
Finally, he urged homeowners to help in ensuring that the mosquito population is kept under control by getting rid of old tyres, drums, tins and barrels where these mosquitoes breed.
?I just want to ask all homeowners to check their premises, make sure you don?t have any containers that can hold water ?.Let us try to keep the mosquito population down to a low level.
?Once dengue is here it would not be an outbreak, too many people would not come down with it because we?ll have the mosquito population under control.?
http://sunstkitts.com/paper/?asknw=...09058911062008&an=111611089311042008&ac=Local
