More Dengue Cases Recorded; One Death Confirmed
Sept. 29, 2023
KINGSTON, Jamaica. Friday, September 29, 2023: The Ministry of Health & Wellness has advised that the number of presumed, suspected and confirmed Dengue cases has increased to 1,060. Of that number,132 are confirmed Dengue cases with the Type 2 strain dominating the confirmed case count.
At the same time, four of the six deaths previously under investigation have been classified. One death was Dengue-related, while the other three were classified as suspected Dengue-related deaths.
All parishes have recorded Dengue cases, with Kingston & St. Andrew, St. Thomas, St. Catherine, Portland, and St. James recording the most confirmed cases. The 5–14-year-old age cohort continues to be the most affected, followed by persons 25-59 years old.
The Ministry again reminds the pubic that Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that is usually a mild illness in which a person may get a fever, headache, joint, and muscle pains. Rest and adequate hydration are usually enough to see one through the period of illness. The recommended treatment for the fever is acetaminophen/paracetamol.
Members of the public are urged not to use aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, or any of the medications/pain relievers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs, when used to treat the fever in Dengue, have been known to increase the severity of the disease.
On occasions the illness can progress to Severe Dengue, which can result in organ failure as well as bleeding (haemorrhage), and severe fluid depletion that can lead to shock and death. Persons experiencing fever, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, bleeding under the skin (petechial rash), feeling very weak, or getting confused, are to seek immediate medical attention.
The public is also reminded that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which causes Dengue, breeds in any containerized environment; that is in anything that can hold water. Some of the common breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito are drums, tyres, buckets, and animal feeding containers.
Persons are asked to play their part in ensuring that the Dengue cases are minimised by monitoring water storage containers for mosquito breeding; keeping surroundings free of debris; destroying or treating potential mosquito breeding sites; wearing protective clothing and using a DEET-containing mosquito repellant.
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