Chikungunya also present in BVI! Suspected dengue cases over 100
As the number dengue fever cases continue to rise with more than 30 percent resulting in hospitalisation locally, the BVI has now confirmed cases of another mosquito-borne disease — Chikungunya.
This is according to the National Epidemiologist, Harmonie Brewley-Massiah who revealed the alarming statistics in a recent online forum.
She did not state the total number of confirmed chikungunya cases but said: “They are similar to dengue, which is why usually if you’re presenting with the symptoms, they’ll usually do a test to determine whether or not its chikungunya versus dengue.”
Over 100 suspected dengue cases
At the time of the live forum on Thursday, October 22, Brewley-Massiah said the total number of confirmed dengue fever cases increased to from 59 to 67.
And when including suspected dengue cases that have not yet been laboratory-confirmed but diagnosed by a doctor, she said the total number stands at 105 cases.
Of the confirmed cases, Massiah said a higher percentage of the patients hospitalised were males.
“When we also look at the age range that is most affected, it is between zero to nine age range. They account for almost 22 percent of our cases. This is then followed by the 20 to 29 age range,” the epidemiologist explained.
“When we look at hospitalised cases, we have approximately 35 percent of our cases having [been] hospitalised and 54 percent of the hospitalised cases are male. So again, we’re seeing a male skew. And of the 35 percent of the hospitalised cases, the most affected age range was the under-10s,” she added.
Brewley-Massiah also said she believes the high percentage of cases presenting in the male population may correlate to the amount of time being spent outdoors or the type of leisure activities men in the territory are involved in when compared to females.
New dengue strain in the BVI
According to the data available, the epidemiologist said she believes a new variation of dengue fever is presently within the territory.
She said the disease is usually categorised into four strains — Dengue Fever Type 1, 2, 3 and 4. But due to the recent flare up of cases, an official test will have to be conducted to confirm the strain.
“In the past, we did have Type 1 and 2 circulating but we are not quite sure what type we have now so we are actually going to be sending away samples so that we can update our current dengue profile because whenever you have an outbreak, it’s usually from the introduction of another type into the country,” she stated.
“With respect to severe dengue, it’s usually associated with Type 3 and at present, we currently have one case of severe dengue here in the territory which definitely means that we might have an introduction of another type, and which is why right now we are going to be addressing the increases that we have been seeing in the number of reported cases we have been getting into the unit,” she explained.
Reasons for spike in cases
Brewley-Massiah said the rainy season coupled with neglected cisterns and other poor practices that lead to mosquito breeding is the reason behind the present spike.
She said: “We typically see increases between January to April and then there is a lull, and then it spikes again in September, October, November and that tends to correlate with our rainy season and, to some extent, our hurricane season.”
“The reason that we are currently seeing this spike is not only because it’s cooler. [But] with more moisture, it means that you have more breeding sites for the mosquitoes and now all of the dormant eggs that the mosquitoes would’ve laid during the summer period, that rain is now going to come and activate them and you’re going to have mosquitoes being produced,” Brewley-Massiah added.
The most common symptoms associated with dengue include a high fever, vomiting, diarrhoea (in some cases), muscle aches and pains, headaches, eye pain, a rash and joint pains.
Persons who believe they may have any of the aforementioned symptoms are advised to contact their respective medical practitioner.
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From one to the next them island people really put obeh on the BVI
@Lawdy
Who like obeah more than BVIslanders?
One person can stupid so? You are an idiot. Why didn’t you say its YOUR DEEDS THAT CAUSED IT?
I’d rather get Covid then Dengue Fever. Foy maybe the garbage dumps and trash around the Territory should be cleaned up to control the mosquito population. Just a thought.
More curfews is probably their answer
But yet we should be worried about COVID right? Dengue/Chikungunya aren’t any jokes and in many cases are serious and require hospitalization but where is the urgency on this? Where is the fogging? Where is environmental health urging the removal of waste matter etc. from mosquito breeding grounds? Have you seen pock wood pond lately with all the old metal from the cars since Irma? The dump? Driving along the road ways and in people’s yards? Old cars, boats, equipment and so many other things with stagnant water giving the mosquitos all they need to multiply and make more people sick. Yet, all the resources are put into going into people business and f**king them up about masks, curfew, giving fines for nonsense. This is nothing to do with our health and all to do with power.
Who is deliberately releasing infected mosquitoes in the BVI? Is it that *P* that has been studying us, the plants and animals for decades? HHHHmmmmmm…. Another strategy to succumb BVI to stay in their pockets, to give up our control, our land, our religious freedom, our rights, our belief system in the Creator and His Word? We see you coming, but the prayer warriors in the BVI and offshore are on to your occultic and satanist games with praise, prayer and worship before the throne of grace and mercy and we are winning. We know you are preparing yourselves for the rituals this week but Jehovah is our God and will protect us from you as He has done during those 2017 storms and hurricanes that you manipulated. May Jehovah be praised for all our help cometh from the Lord who created us, the hills, the heavens and the earth because we dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High.
You can never be a believer in the LORD JESUS CHRIST with that mentality. Even the bible warned us about diseases and you’re talking about occult. My friend go to JEHOVAH and ask for forgive, because sounds to me like you believe in the occult more that your creator.
I had dengue once in early November. Bad news!
Need to fog the communities! Seems like he can’t multitask? Get the communities dogged ASAP!
Well let’s lock down the place! More cases of Dengue than Corona! Shut everything down Minister of Health! Keep the curfew…mosquitoes don’t bite between midnight and 4:59am.
If the useless health department stop focusing on the flu (Covid)and concentrate on the more DEADLY and forever mosquito issues, we will live longer. Too much old vehicles,open uncovered cisterns and unkept surroundings in the BVI. Start issue citations on people and create revenue, less mosquito diseases
Agree. Not a thing is being done
Perhaps the government can start using the money for fogging rather than filling their pockets…
What we don’t know is that fogging is illegal in the BVI.
BVI look like a damn slum, so many derelict vehicles and dirty yards, this island needs a good clean up, how you look on the outside is how you keep on the inside, I stopped eating and drinking from people in this Territory from March of 2008, when a local guy was barbecuing and blew snot into the very T.Shirt that he was wearing, right in Cane Garden Bay.
Which jesus u mean please the white wash one or the black messiah…hmmmmm…better know which one for ur prayers would be dead and fall on deff ears
Hmmm the white man take away ur faith and put it in a lie your meditation is not centered ur lip whisper fable word and ur mind possess a faults image of the power for ur inline with idolatry innocent to most of u all hearts for a veil cover ur face that got u blind …but got to say ones of good intentions hearts will vibrate that of the most high thanks be to him ..
Start cutting all the roadside bush and fogging