New suspected cases of Chikungunya have been reported in Aurora, Essequibo, where residents say three persons came down with symptoms of the virus two weeks ago.
Chikungunya, a virus transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, was first locally detected in Berbice, where it continues to be prevalent. The Health Ministry has officially recorded 76 Chikungunya cases from approximately 250 samples sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago. However, Chief Medical Officer Shamdeo Persaud has stated that there were 580 suspected cases coming out of health centres across the country and some samples sent to CARPHA are still waiting to be tested.
A 27-year-old Aurora resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Stabroek News that when she started experiencing the symptoms, she thought she had