Montserrat on Alert as St Kitts and Nevis Confirms cases of the Deadly Dengue Virus

Interests in Montserrat are monitoring the latest developments in neighbouring St Kitts and Nevis where three laboratory cases of dengue fever were recorded in the federation during the past week.

The ministry of health here is on alert per adventure the virus were to make its way across to Montserrat.

Like their counterparts in St Kitts and Nevis, the ministry of health here is advising individuals to pay close attention to their surroundings for possible mosquito breeding grounds and also to pay attention to the body for symptoms of the virus.

The symptoms for dengue fever may include high fever, headaches, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains and skin rash.

However, the illness once it develops into severe Dengue, may be characterized by intense and continuous abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, and mucosal bleeding.

Symptoms are likely to affect a person at about four to ten days after being bitten by a dengue-infected mosquito.

Dengue viral infection is caused by the dengue virus which is transmitted mainly by female mosquitoes of the species – Aedes Aegypti. The mosquito is also responsible for other viruses  Zika and Chikungunya.

Actions to mitigate the impact and spread of Dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases including: protecting one’s self by using personal repellents on skin & clothes; using bed nets if adult mosquitoes were prevalent;wearing protective clothing like long pants and long-sleeved tops; protecting one’s home by using screens for doors and windows; protecting homes, schools and offices by disposing of all bottles, cans, and water holding containers in an approved refuse bin with appropriate cover; keeping lawn, grass and vegetation trimmed; changing and replenishing water in vases daily; and reporting any body of stagnant water to the Environmental Health Department.

The Environmental Health Department has taken steps to strengthening its mosquito surveillance efforts to reduce the risk of mosquito-related diseases like Dengue.

However, it is impressing upon individuals to exercise personal responsibility by reducing the mosquito breeding sites.

There has been an upsurge of Dengue Fever in the region in recent weeks; with reports not only from St. Kitts and Nevis, but Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Barbados and other islands.