By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THERE HAS been a significant reduction in the number of cases of gastro-enteritis islandwide.
Data provided by the Health Ministry show that during the second week of February, there were 2,500 reported cases of gastro-enteritis across the island.
That figure slumped to 1,554 cases during the last week of February and according to the Health Ministry, it has since observed that 'incidents of gastroenteritis continue to trend downwards.'
Health officials are attributing the decline to both their rigorous public education campaign and the changing weather patterns.
"We expect the declining trend to continue, since we have in place a mass media intervention and intense public education on preventing and treating gastroenteritis," said Shermaine Robotham-White, Public Relations Manager with the Ministry of Health.
"In light of the fact that the weather is getting warmer, we expect that the spread of the disease from the Rotavirus, should become less prevalent. That's a pattern which gastroenteritis has followed over the years."
During January and February, health institutions, especially in western Jamaica were placed on alert to a 'gastro outbreak', after reports of the illness becoming numbering in the hundreds.
Since the start of the year, at least five persons have died from the disease.
In western Jamaica, the deaths included two babies in St. James.
