The Ministry of Health says it is coordinating efforts at mitigating any impact from the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya.
In a statement dated February 18, 2014 but only released yesterday by the Government Information Agency, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud said that heightened efforts will be concentrated in Vector Control, Epidemiology and Surveillance, laboratory detection of cases as well as the clinical management of cases.
Fourteen hundred cases of the viral disease have been detected in various parts of the Caribbean but none in Guyana.
The release said that on 12th December 2013, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) was notified of 10 locally transmitted confirmed cases of chikungunya on the French side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.
The World Health Organization – International Health Regulations (WHO-IHR) subsequently confirmed that a new viral infection was actively being transmitted in the Caribbean and posed a threat to health. Since then, the release said that more than 1,400 confirmed cases were reported, from Anguilla (1 case), Aruba (1 case), British Virgin Islands (5 cases), Dominica (4 cases), French Guiana (4 Cases), Guadeloupe (175 cases), Martinique (518 cases), St. Barthelemy (83 cases), Saint Maarten (65 cases) and St. Martin (601 cases). One confirmed death was reported by St. Martin, the release said.
The release said that chikungunya is a viral disease, carried mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
It causes a dengue-like sickness. The release said that symptoms include a sudden high fever, severe pain in the wrists, ankles or knuckles, muscle pain, headache, nausea, and rash. The release added that joint pain and stiffness are more common with chikungunya than with dengue.
The symptoms show up between four to seven days after the bite of an infected mosquito and the release said that the majority of clinical signs and symptoms last three to ten days. Joint pain may persist longer. Severe cases requiring hospitalization are rare, the release said. Members of the public who might be experiencing these symptoms or know of someone experiencing these symptoms are encouraged to seek medical assistance from the nearest health facility, the release urged.
The same mosquito that transmits Dengue, the Aedes aegypti, also transmits chikungunya. There is no vaccine or treatment for Chikungunya. The release urged members of the public to take various steps to fight the risk of the virus.
These include:
• Elimination of potential mosquito breeding sites indoors and outdoors
• keeping water drums and barrels tightly covered
• disposing of stagnant water from flower vases, old tyres, and other containers that might act as breeding sites.
• Ensuring waterways and drains are not blocked with debris and free flowing
The CMO added that protection from mosquito bites can be obtained by using bed nets, insect repellant and long sleeved clothing or pants.
