Trinidad/Tobago: Dengue fever 2009

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,100472.html

Dengue Fever at St Ann?s

Wednesday, May 20 2009

THREE staff members and a patient at the St Ann?s Psychiatric Hospital have contracted the mosquito borne disease, dengue fever.

According to hospital sources, the outbreak occurred in the chronic wards located on the hillside section of the compound. Newsday was told that the source of the mosquito problem could be open toilet tanks in the washrooms of some wards which serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes. The tanks do not have covers.

Another source linked the mosquito problem to a river flowing through the grounds of the hospital. Newsday has learnt that some staff have complained of the mosquito problem and spraying was carried out. Officials of the North-West Regional Health Authority could not be reached for comment yesterday.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Trinidad/Tobago: Dengue fever 2009

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161498369

Tobago cases drop to seven
Elizabeth W Allard Tobago Bureau

Monday, June 29th 2009

Swine flu cases in Tobago are now down to single digits, and, according to the Ministry of Health officials, there are now seven active cases on the island.

One health official in Tobago told the Express yesterday, that while the Influenza A/H1N1 virus is similar to the common cold, personal hygiene was very important.

The Division of Health has advised that the situation in Tobago is under control, and one health official told the Express dengue fever wreaked more havoc in the country than swine flu.

Following the closure of all schools in Tobago last Friday, in an effort to control the virus as mainly children have been affected, Education Secretary Claudia Groome Duke met with members of staff of the Education Department, including principals and other stakeholders, such as TTUTA, at the Department's Ansa McAL conference room, to finalise technical and administrative details for the preparation of the new school term.

It was decided that teachers would report to school as usual from today to facilitate the preparation and collection of reports and booklists and reinforcement for teachers to participate in the public education awareness process on H1N1.

SEA registration will continue as scheduled, graduation ceremonies will continue as planned, and parents will be informed on the details for the collection of reports and booklists.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Trinidad/Tobago: Dengue fever 2009

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161508387

Ministry: 880 suspected dengue cases so far
Camille Bethel cbethel@trinidadexpress.com

Friday, July 24th 2009



The Health Ministry yesterday released figures giving the number of suspected dengue fever cases for 2009, but made no mention of the two known cases where the virus killed citizens.

The statistics also do not give the number of people who were confirmed as having the disease.

The ministry's figures are that as of June 20, there have been 880 "reported suspected cases of dengue".

The information came two weeks after former Member of Parliament for Barataria, Dr Fuad Khan, claimed, at a citizens rally against crime and social injustice, that the State was covering up severity of the dengue problem and doctors had been mandated not to use the word dengue.

The Express has reported on the deaths of two people this year whose death certificates gave the cause of death as dengue haemorrhagic fever - Barrackpore taxi-driver, Persad Backarally, who died in March and 12-year-old Sydney Boodhan of Princes Town in June.

Ministry statistics also show that for the first 24 weeks of the year, suspected cases have been on the decline.

And while the peak was in week five - February 7- with 98 suspected cases reported, only twelve cases were reported in week 24 -June 24.

According to the ministry, there has been a steady pattern of decline in the number of "suspected cases" of dengue since the week of June 24.

But while there may be fewer dengue cases so far for this year, there could be a spike, according to president of the Public Health Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Mohan Bholasingh.

Bholasingh said, "We really have not seen as many cases in the last few months.

The numbers are actually lower than what we saw last year, but with the upcoming rainy season we are expecting to see an increase in the numbers."

Last year, the Health Ministry reported 3,832 dengue cases and six deaths.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Trinidad/Tobago: Dengue fever 2009

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_sports?id=161542038


Dengue scare for Jabloteh
Ian Prescott iprescot@trinidadexpress.com

Friday, October 9th 2009


San Juan Jabloteh midfielders Willis Plaza and Devon Jamerson have almost recovered from suspected cases of dengue fever and are back home after spending a few days at a medical facility in Arima.

They are among 11 players from the defending Digicel Pro League champions who were sick after travelling to Mexico for a CONCACAF Champions League match against Toluca on September 23.

Jabloteh team manager Azaad Khan confirmed that most of the players had flu symptoms and a few aches and that only the two most serious cases were hospitalised as a precaution. Khan also dispelled rumours that they were suffering from swine flu (A H1N1 virus).

"We are still to get the results of tests on the two in Arima, but we are almost sure that it is dengue," said Khan yesterday.

"They both had it very bad and were vomiting and so on. The others are okay, they just have a few aches and some flu."

While in Mexico, it was reported there was an outbreak of dengue fever in the region where the players were. After returning home, Jabloteh played a Pro League match and then went to the USA on September 30 to meet DC United in another Champions League match, which they lost 5-1, in Washington, DC.

It was while in Washington that the affected players started showing flu-like symptoms.

After returning to Trinidad last week, Jabloteh were unable to play their first two matches in the Pro League Big Six, last Friday and Tuesday.

Khan is not sure whether his players will recover in time to play their next match in the Big Six, scheduled for October 15.

"That will be quite tough. First, the players will need time to recover because they are still weak and we will be playing almost every two days to make up for the matches we have not played," he said.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Trinidad/Tobago: Dengue fever 2009

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161542490

Narace: All-out war on dengue
Aabida Allaham

Saturday, October 10th 2009


WITHIN the last few months, the National Surveillance Unit has found a noticeable increase in the number of people claiming to have dengue fever, but Health Minister Jerry Narace says the figures are still relatively small compared with last year.

Addressing members of the media at a news conference held at the Ministry's head office in Port of Spain specially to update the public about dengue and the strategies they intended to use in order to deal with it, Narace admitted that the total number of suspected dengue cases to date was 1,577; however he said this figure was significantly lower than the 2,311 cases for the same period in 2008.

"According to the most recent National Surveillance Unit data, suspected dengue cases have shown a noticeable increase in the past couple of months, with 129 suspected cases in August and 175 in September 2009, as compared to 84 in June and 80 in July 2009. Looking at 2009 data, thus far, the peak month was February, with 266 suspected cases, while from March until the end of July there was a steady decrease in the amount of suspected dengue cases," he said.

The minister, who spoke at length about issuing an all out war on the viral illness transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes Aegypti mosquito, has not confirmed if 15-year-old Moonilal Toolsiesingh, of SS Erin Road Debe in fact died from dengue but he insisted that while increased numbers of dengue cases were expected around this time of year, "in line with the annual cyclic variations in dengue, the situation is still one of concern".

He therefore stressed that source reduction has been the key when it comes to effectively controlling the spread of this disease.

"Our 'source reduction' initiatives are spearheaded by an inter-sectoral committee headed by the Ministry of Health... therefore I appeal to every single citizen, as we approach the festival of lights, let us clean our surroundings and avoid the scourge of dengue. If you need to arrange clean-ups for your community, please contact your Local Government Councillor. If there is a mosquito infestation, alert Insect Vector Control at 663 2281 and/or your local government authority or email the Ministry at

corpcomm@health.gov.tt," he insisted.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Trinidad/Tobago: Dengue fever 2009

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161544490

Young mom dies of dengue
Hours after emergency C-section...
Nikita Braxton South Bureau

Thursday, October 15th 2009

DOCTORS were forced to do an emergency Caesarean section to save a baby whose mother had contracted dengue and was too weak to deliver.

Baby Jia survived.

Her mother, Abigail Birsa, died hours later.

Birsa's death certificate stated that she died from dengue haemorrhagic fever and hypovolemic shock.

Birsa, 26, is the fourth person known to have died from dengue this year.

Last week, Health Minister Jerry Narace said there would be an all-out war to combat dengue, which is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

The Ministry had previously said cases of dengue were under control.

Birsa, of Ragoonanan Road, Enterprise, died on Monday.

Yesterday, however, family members claimed that had San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) healthcare workers attended to the expectant mother earlier, she may have been alive to hold her newborn baby.

"The waiting period needs to be vastly improved," her father, Michael Birsa, said.

He said his daughter was admitted to the hospital on Saturday, after a visit to a private health provider.

"They said she needed treatment immediately, so we took her to San Fernando (General Hospital)," he said.

She was admitted hours later.

Days before, Abigail was taken to the Mt Hope hospital with a high fever and was also made to wait, he said. The result of the test done at that hospital was unknown because the blood sample they took from Abigail was lost, her father said.

Birsa was also disappointed with the treatment at the SFGH. He said it was while waiting for test results at this hospital that his daughter collapsed and started bleeding through her nose. "Her baby had to be taken from her," he said.

But apart from losing his daughter, Birsa is also without his wife, Sheriffa, and son, Jason. They, too, are awaiting results at the SFGH to determine whether they contracted dengue.

Six months ago, Abigail left her cruise ship job to return to her Enterprise home to prepare for the birth of her child.

"She intended to just spend time with her mother and father after the delivery," Birsa said.

For years, Birsa said he had been calling on the regional corporation to maintain the empty lot next to his residence. He said he would usually spray around his home and take precautions to prevent the breeding of mosquitoe

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Trinidad/Tobago: Dengue fever 2009

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,109263.html

South family fearful after dengue death

By Invera Arjoon Friday, October 16 2009
click on pic to zoom in

The family of 26-year-old Abigail Birsa who died from dengue haemorrhagic fever on Monday is fearful as a fourth family member on Wednesday night started displaying symptoms of dengue.

According to father of the deceased woman, Michael Birsa, his nephew started to feel ill and was taken to Mt Hope hospital where he was treated, and told to return if his condition worsened.

Michael?s wife, Sheriffa, and his son Jason also remain warded at San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) after being warded over the weekend, awaiting confirmation on whether or not they have also tested positive for the virus. The family said they were hoping Sheriffa would be able to attend her daughter?s funeral tomorrow.

Birsa died at the SFGH on Monday after an emergency Caesarean section was performed to save the life of her baby girl Jiya. Four-day-old Jiya is warded at the San Fernando general Hospital.

Birsa?s distraught father Michael sent a heart wrenching plea to Minister of Health Jerry Narace to take steps to ensure a much more efficient health system at the nation?s health care facilities.

?I believe my daughter?s life could have been spared if she did not have to wait from 10 am to 9.30 pm on Saturday, before she was warded.

?We went to Mt Hope days before and she almost collapsed waiting and yet they lost her blood samples, which were taken to determine whether she had dengue. We went and got the test done privately, and they referred us immediately to SFGH. When we got there she was so ill, they blatantly refused to accept the test results we had! My daughter was eight months pregnant, with lab results showing she had tested positive for dengue. It was not an ordinary situation, they could have had a heart, Michael cried.

?Somebody in authority needs to do something, and heed the cries of the less fortunate in society who are forced to endure this type of treatment everyday!?

Michael aslo alleged that when the Insect Vector Control Department conducted thermal fogging in the area, they concentrated on the main roads, and ignored the side roads.

He said on several occasions, he took it upon himself to spray around his home at Riverside Avenue, Ragoonanan Road, Enterprise, in an attempt to prevent what has now happened.

Michael said the family would now be taking care of baby Jiya and Raquel and does not plan on initiating any kind of legal action against the hospital, but wants the authorities to act so other lives can be saved.

In response, the Medical Professionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT) in a release said ?Our public institutions do not have the capacity to manage the basic demands required of our population. The system has been struggling to cope with only the emergency cases.

The failure to genuinely increase institutional capacity, rather than the simplistic plugging of holes for obvious failures will no doubt result in an incapacity to cope with the demands of a severe dengue or swine-flu out break.

MPATT?s Secretary General said the long lines and painstakingly long wait for beds are now ?an everyday event at SFGH.?

Birsa is the fourth person to have died from dengue haemorrhagic fever, which is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, in TT.