Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
ONE DENGUE DEATH
By Lara Pickford-Gordon Saturday, July 10 2010
The Health Ministry yesterday said with the rainy season, the number of dengue cases being reported at hospitals and to the ministry has been ?increasing quite dramatically? and one confirmed death has been recorded in June. From January to the end of June more than 400 clinical dengue cases were reported.
The ministry held a media briefing yesterday at its head office, Park Street, Port-of-Spain to report on the ?critical increase? and get the public to ?step-up? prevention activities. Dengue fever is spread by infected female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The mosquito breeds in clear water.
In alerting the public, the ministry is trying to prevent a peak in cases as happened in 2008 when there were 3,832 ?identified reported cases? out of which 100 were lab-confirmed and there were six confirmed deaths. Over the last two months there has been a ?rapid increase? in reported cases at hospitals and the ministry after a decline in cases in 2009.
?It does not take many cases for us to have dengue deaths again because of the nature of what we are facing. So it is extremely important for us to eliminate and control the Aedes aeypti. Report to the hospital or your doctor as soon as you perceive you have dengue fever, especially, if you know you had it before. Especially with the children,? said Chief Medical Officer Dr Anton Cumberbatch. The Aedes aegypti has been in TT for more than 30 years and caused dengue fever, dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. The rate of the disease has been peaking in five-year cycles but Cumberbatch said it has been noticed locally and worldwide that the cycle is getting shorter due to climate change and increased temperatures. Cumberbatch said, ?within two years we are seeing trends upwards at a rapid rate.?
In its 2008 end-of-year Dengue Report, the ministry said barrels of water accounted for 70 percent of the breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The ministry said the Aedes aegypti problem related directly to two main factors: water storage, inappropriate disposal of water holding containers within the environment.
Cumberbatch stressed that persons who have had dengue fever in the past should be particularly careful. There are four viral types of dengue I, II, III, IV and getting one type does not protect against another strain. ?The more often you get dengue the likelihood of you getting complications, the dengue haemorrhagic fever leading on to shock and possibly death, increases,? he said. With dengue being in the country more than 30 years the number of persons in the population getting repeated infections has increased.
Cumberbatch said, ?We saw evidence of that in 2008 with the number of people who got dengue and those who had complications, especially children.?
The ministry has been refining its integrated management plan which is an inter-sectoral approach with the Ministry of Local Government, public health inspectors and vector control officers. Training of medical personnel and provision of supplies is part of the plan. Prevention is included. ?If we eliminate the breeding sites we will do well,? said Cumberbatch. Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis gave a dramatic presentation on the facts of the ?very smart? female mosquito. She said buckets and barrels used for storing water provided the mosquito with ?nice homes? and living near humans had made the mosquito dependent on man. ?She never lives more than 90 metres from dwellings thus guaranteeing her meals. She attacks from below or behind.?
The eggs of the mosquito can survive in a dry state for up to one year. Baptiste-Cornelis said there were 1,295 persons hospitalised for dengue in 2008, 1,266 in 2009 and 242 for this year. She said the ministry wanted to prevent a high number of hospitalised cases.
The ministry has a spraying schedule and she called for the public not to close their doors. ?We want that smog to come in to get to those Aedes hiding there,? said Baptiste-Cornelis.
Ninety former ?sprayers? with the Insect Vector Control Division will be recalled and she asked for 60 more to be hired and trained.
?I want to give her no chance. She needs to go. Aedes go away,? said Baptiste-Cornelis.
There will be spraying Sunday to July 17 in the Eastern Region at La Seiva, Vega De Oropouche, Valencia Old Road, and in the South-west region at Scotts Road, Crawsford Trace, Muclan Trace. The ministry is advising the public to alert the Insect Vector Control at 663-2291 or email corpcomm@health.gov.tt to alert of mosquito infestation.
Minister of Local Government Chandresh Sharma said since the launch of the Clean-Up and Beautify programme on June 27 the ministry was continuing to remove garbage and clean water courses.
He said information should be provided to the ministry on work which had to be done. Sharma said the Government could not do anything about how persons stored water within their homes except to remind the public to take action.
Signs and Symptoms
Dengue fever symptoms appear within five-six days of being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Symptoms last for one to two weeks and include: headaches (sometimes severe), high fever, backache, vomiting, skin rash, muscle and joint paints, pain behind the eyes, diarrohoea, in some cases bleeding under the skin.
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever:
Bleeding under the skin (red spots and bruises), bleeding nose/gums, heavy vaginal bleeding, severe headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, blood in the stool and vomit and weakness, low blood pressure and shock.
Aspirin, Motrin, Cataflam, Olfen and Ibuprofen should not be used to treat symptoms as this can cause bleeding and lead to shock. Panadol and Tylenol may be used.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,123767.html
By Lara Pickford-Gordon Saturday, July 10 2010
The Health Ministry yesterday said with the rainy season, the number of dengue cases being reported at hospitals and to the ministry has been ?increasing quite dramatically? and one confirmed death has been recorded in June. From January to the end of June more than 400 clinical dengue cases were reported.
The ministry held a media briefing yesterday at its head office, Park Street, Port-of-Spain to report on the ?critical increase? and get the public to ?step-up? prevention activities. Dengue fever is spread by infected female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The mosquito breeds in clear water.
In alerting the public, the ministry is trying to prevent a peak in cases as happened in 2008 when there were 3,832 ?identified reported cases? out of which 100 were lab-confirmed and there were six confirmed deaths. Over the last two months there has been a ?rapid increase? in reported cases at hospitals and the ministry after a decline in cases in 2009.
?It does not take many cases for us to have dengue deaths again because of the nature of what we are facing. So it is extremely important for us to eliminate and control the Aedes aeypti. Report to the hospital or your doctor as soon as you perceive you have dengue fever, especially, if you know you had it before. Especially with the children,? said Chief Medical Officer Dr Anton Cumberbatch. The Aedes aegypti has been in TT for more than 30 years and caused dengue fever, dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. The rate of the disease has been peaking in five-year cycles but Cumberbatch said it has been noticed locally and worldwide that the cycle is getting shorter due to climate change and increased temperatures. Cumberbatch said, ?within two years we are seeing trends upwards at a rapid rate.?
In its 2008 end-of-year Dengue Report, the ministry said barrels of water accounted for 70 percent of the breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The ministry said the Aedes aegypti problem related directly to two main factors: water storage, inappropriate disposal of water holding containers within the environment.
Cumberbatch stressed that persons who have had dengue fever in the past should be particularly careful. There are four viral types of dengue I, II, III, IV and getting one type does not protect against another strain. ?The more often you get dengue the likelihood of you getting complications, the dengue haemorrhagic fever leading on to shock and possibly death, increases,? he said. With dengue being in the country more than 30 years the number of persons in the population getting repeated infections has increased.
Cumberbatch said, ?We saw evidence of that in 2008 with the number of people who got dengue and those who had complications, especially children.?
The ministry has been refining its integrated management plan which is an inter-sectoral approach with the Ministry of Local Government, public health inspectors and vector control officers. Training of medical personnel and provision of supplies is part of the plan. Prevention is included. ?If we eliminate the breeding sites we will do well,? said Cumberbatch. Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis gave a dramatic presentation on the facts of the ?very smart? female mosquito. She said buckets and barrels used for storing water provided the mosquito with ?nice homes? and living near humans had made the mosquito dependent on man. ?She never lives more than 90 metres from dwellings thus guaranteeing her meals. She attacks from below or behind.?
The eggs of the mosquito can survive in a dry state for up to one year. Baptiste-Cornelis said there were 1,295 persons hospitalised for dengue in 2008, 1,266 in 2009 and 242 for this year. She said the ministry wanted to prevent a high number of hospitalised cases.
The ministry has a spraying schedule and she called for the public not to close their doors. ?We want that smog to come in to get to those Aedes hiding there,? said Baptiste-Cornelis.
Ninety former ?sprayers? with the Insect Vector Control Division will be recalled and she asked for 60 more to be hired and trained.
?I want to give her no chance. She needs to go. Aedes go away,? said Baptiste-Cornelis.
There will be spraying Sunday to July 17 in the Eastern Region at La Seiva, Vega De Oropouche, Valencia Old Road, and in the South-west region at Scotts Road, Crawsford Trace, Muclan Trace. The ministry is advising the public to alert the Insect Vector Control at 663-2291 or email corpcomm@health.gov.tt to alert of mosquito infestation.
Minister of Local Government Chandresh Sharma said since the launch of the Clean-Up and Beautify programme on June 27 the ministry was continuing to remove garbage and clean water courses.
He said information should be provided to the ministry on work which had to be done. Sharma said the Government could not do anything about how persons stored water within their homes except to remind the public to take action.
Signs and Symptoms
Dengue fever symptoms appear within five-six days of being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Symptoms last for one to two weeks and include: headaches (sometimes severe), high fever, backache, vomiting, skin rash, muscle and joint paints, pain behind the eyes, diarrohoea, in some cases bleeding under the skin.
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever:
Bleeding under the skin (red spots and bruises), bleeding nose/gums, heavy vaginal bleeding, severe headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, blood in the stool and vomit and weakness, low blood pressure and shock.
Aspirin, Motrin, Cataflam, Olfen and Ibuprofen should not be used to treat symptoms as this can cause bleeding and lead to shock. Panadol and Tylenol may be used.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,123767.html
