Officials in Jamaica have declared a dengue fever outbreak, citing that there are hundreds of suspected and confirmed cases.
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On Saturday (September 23), the Ministry of Health and Wellness said its National Surveillance Unit advised that the country has surpassed the dengue epidemic threshold for July and August, and is currently on a trajectory to continue rising for September.
In a press release, the Ministry said, “This means, the country has seen an increase in the number of cases compared to what is normally seen during these months of the year.”
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As of Friday (September 22), the country had a recorded 565 suspected, presumed, and confirmed cases of dengue. Out of that total, 78 cases of the mosquito-borne disease are confirmed, with a majority of the cases stemming from Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine, and St. Thomas.
Additionally, the Ministry has revealed that the Dengue Type Two strain has been the dominant and most prevalent. This is said to be one of the deadliest strains and has not been as widespread in the country since 2010. Reports add that in addition to a fever, this strain can cause two or more other symptoms of the usual dengue infection, and it can also be fatal.
The Ministry also notes that dengue symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and a rash. In a small number of cases, the potentially deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) may develop in those infected, which may then lead to internal bleeding, enlargement of the liver, and a high fever.
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Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the dengue viruses are “spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes agypti species mosquito.” Confirming, the CDC claims about one in four people infected by the virus will get sick with mild symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, rash, aches, and pains. Recovery from the virus takes about a week.
Furthermore, the Ministry added that “there are no dengue-related deaths classified at this time, however, six deaths are being investigated.” Health officials also said, “Approximately 500 temporary vector control workers have been engaged and deployed across the island to high-risk communities along with 213 permanent workers.”
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