Ministry of Health keeps close watch on cases of Dengue Fever

23/08/2023

By Ministry of Health

As we continue into the rainy season, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly affairs through its process of disease surveillance closely monitors the dengue fever cases occurring in country.

According to data published by the World Health Organization (WHO), from January to July 2023, recorded over three million cases of dengue fever and over 1,300 deaths in the region of the Americas. Within the region, Saint Lucia’s neighboring isle, Martinique, issued a dengue alert, while Guyana, another Caribbean territory, has already recorded 11 deaths due to dengue fever.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne illness caused by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito which is endemic to Saint Lucia. It is a seasonal disease that often occurs during periods of heavy rainfall. Dengue is the arbovirus that causes the highest number of cases in the Region of the Americas, with epidemics occurring cyclically every three to five years.

In Saint Lucia, the last outbreak of dengue fever occurred in 2020 where over 1300 confirmed cases were recorded causing substantial morbidity to affected individuals.

To date, 14 confirmed cases of dengue fever have been recorded on island. Persons with dengue fever may have mild or no symptoms and can recover completely within 1–2 weeks. If symptoms do occur, they usually begin 4–10 days after infection and last for 2–7 days.

If you become infected with the dengue virus, you may experience:

high fever (40°C/104°F)
severe headache
pain behind the eyes
muscle and joint pains
nausea
vomiting
swollen glands
rash

You can become infected with the dengue virus more than once. The dengue virus has four serotypes known as DENV 1, 2, 3 and 4. Re-infection with a different serotype from that of a previous infection can result in a more severe form of the disease.

Symptoms of severe dengue include:

severe abdominal pain
persistent vomiting
rapid breathing
bleeding gums or nose
fatigue
restlessness
blood in vomit or stool
being very thirsty
pale and cold skin
feeling weak

Treatment of dengue fever includes getting adequate rest and plenty of fluids. Over-the-counter drugs such as acetaminophen, paracetamol or Panadol can help reduce muscle pain and fever. Do not use other pain relievers, including aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) as they can increase the risk of dengue fever bleeding complications.

Should you exhibit any symptoms consistent with dengue fever please present to the nearest medical facility at the soonest.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly affairs will monitor and continue to update the public on the dengue fever situation.

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