Confirmed dengue cases in Jamaica climb to 1,301

Jamaica has passed the 1,000-mark in dengue fever cases amid an outbreak.

As of Thursday, November 30, the country had recorded 1,301 infections.

Further, the number of Jamaicans killed by the disease has climbed to 12 – eight classified as suspected and four as confirmed.

In a statement today, the Ministry of Health and Wellness said all parishes continue to observe an increase in dengue cases in 2023 compared to 2022, with Kingston & St Andrew reporting the highest number of infections, 1,232, for this year.

However, St Thomas continues with the highest rate of 541.4 cases per 100,000 population, followed by Portland (345.8), Trelawny with 315.5 per 100,000 and Manchester with 310.9 per 100,000 population.

The highest number of cases continues to be observed in the 5–14-year-old cohort at a rate of 623.1 cases per 100,000 population.

The Ministry again reminding the public 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 implored 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.

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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