Senior Reporter
anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt
As dengue fever, Zika and Chikungunya continue to increase across the Caribbean region, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has appealed to people to remain vigilant and take immediate action to reduce the spread of these mosquito-borne diseases as they threaten lives and negatively impact livelihoods.
In a release yesterday, CARPHA said the diseases have continued to pose a serious public health threat to the Caribbean region, with increased reports of dengue outbreaks, hospitalisations, and deaths in some instances being recorded. In addition, they recently confirmed that cases of Zika and Chikungunya had been identified at their Medical Microbiology Laboratory.
They said, “These mosquito-borne diseases can have a major impact on our way of life and our vital tourist industry, on which most of our islands depend.”
CARPHA revealed, “The Region of the Americas has seen a two-hundred-fold increase in suspected dengue cases in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.”
Encouraging member states to remain vigilant, CARPHA’s Ad Interim executive director, Dr Lisa Indar said, “It is crucial that surveillance, prevention, and control measures are boosted to reduce the transmission of arboviruses in the Caribbean.”
The international agency warned that dengue was known to cause outbreaks every three to five years. It was only on June 14 that Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh confirmed T&T had seen an increase in dengue cases, which stood at 123 up to that date, compared to 11 for the same period last year. He described the situation as crucial.
As of June, there have been two dengue-related deaths and 190 confirmed cases of dengue fever.
Dr Horace Cox, assistant director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control, and head of Vector Borne Diseases at CARPHA explained, “These viral infections are transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a vector known to be endemic to the region.
“With the start of the hurricane season, CARPHA is urging its member states to strengthen integrated vector management strategies in their communities. These include the elimination of mosquito breeding sites with the aim of reducing the number of mosquito larvae.”
The international agency said that to counter the increase in mosquitoes and potential disease transmission, greater efforts should be placed on mosquito control activities in communities and intensified.
Senior technical officer, Vector-Borne Diseases at CARPHA, Rajesh Ragoo, said, “Community involvement is essential in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases. A proactive approach can help reduce risk and keep communities safe.”
The public has been advised to check and remove standing water from around homes; ensure surroundings are clean and free of materials or containers that can accumulate water; use wire mesh or screens on doors and windows to help reduce the entry of mosquitoes into homes; ensure water storage drums and tanks are properly covered and inspected periodically to ensure there is no breeding; and clean roof gutters regularly to prevent water from pooling. Officials said mosquitoes that spread dengue fever were most active during the day.
As such, they said personal preventative measures to minimise mosquito bites were also extremely important. “Vulnerable groups such as infants, young children, older adults, and women who are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, must be extra cautious,” they said.
People were advised to use long-sleeved clothing and repellents containing DEET, IR3535, or lemon eucalyptus to protect exposed skin. Meanwhile, they stressed, “Confirmed cases of mosquito-borne diseases should rest under mosquito nets.”
In a video message delivered on the occasion of Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week, which was celebrated across the region from May 13-17, 2024, CARPHA’s then executive director Dr Joy St John said, “In the past year, our communities have faced daunting challenges with dengue outbreaks in several member states. 2,307 suspected and 927 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported to CARPHA from 15 of our member states.”
She said with cases of Zika, Chikungunya and malaria up, “There is great risk of hospitalisations and tragic loss of lives with Zika and malaria.” The theme of this year’s mosquito awareness campaign was Small bite, Big threat; alongside the slogan Stop disease transmission, start source reduction.
St John urged, “By destroying mosquito breeding sites, we prevent them from multiplying and potentially limit the spread of these terrible diseases.
“However, the Caribbean cannot tackle this problem in a haphazard manner. We need everyone on board, from ministries of health to hotels. From schools to non-governmental organisations. We need the media’s help, but most of all, we need you, our Caribbean citizens.”
She too agreed that actions like maintaining clear drains to allow free-flowing water and securely covering water containers and tanks could significantly reduce the breeding of mosquitoes, cut down their biting of our populations, and prevent disease transmission.