APNU MP, Dr George Norton

The Government should be more proactive and intensify the fight against the spread of Chikungunya and other vector-borne diseases, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP), Dr Karen Cummings said.

The APNU MP and parliamentary colleague, Dr George Norton, accused the Government of adopting a position that displays complacency during the coalition’s weekly press briefing on Friday.

It was claimed that the Government was aware of the pending outbreak of Chikungunya and had maintained that it was prepared to deal with the mosquito-borne disease. However, APNU charged, the public later found out that this was not the case, as the Health Ministry lacked the human resources capacity to operate some of the requisite machinery that were pivotal to the fight.

Nineteen persons have been confirmed as having the Chikungunya virus, while scores more were tested after the virus was first detected in Berbice.

Obvious de-emphasis

APNU MP, Dr Karen Cummings

“The emergence and re-emergence [of the disease] can be attributed to complacency and an obvious de-emphasis on a public health problem, the failure of the health structure to adequately manage this menace, diversion of financial support to other areas and the apparent use of a few drugs and insecticides as a quick-fix method contributed to the exacerbation on display,” Dr Cummings said.

The doctor also cited a slew of other contributory factors that have led to the current problem, including climate change, but she noted that attention must also be placed on proper waste disposal/management infrastructure in Guyana.

For the Government to go about effectively tackling the issue, immense focus must be placed on training health personnel in the detection of vector-borne diseases, the development of “robust health facilities” and adequate public education to inform the public of the perils of being infected with the disease and ways to prevent such, Dr Cummings lamented on Friday.

Also urging Government to boost preventative efforts in this regard was Dr Norton, who contended that the proposed idea of a quarantine would not be effective given, Guyana’s situation.

Further, he called on Government to focus on all vector-borne diseases as they continue to be significant threats to human life.

“APNU reasserts that it is the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration’s responsibility to protect the population from these diseases. The PPP/C must explain why, even in places where mosquitoes were eliminated decades ago, vector-borne diseases are re-emerging,” the Shadow Health Minister said.

Intensified fogging

However, Director of the Vector Control Services Department of the Health Ministry, Dr Reyaud Rahaman on Tuesday told Guyana Times that the Ministry will intensify its fogging exercises in identified communities across Georgetown. He said that the fogging exercises are aimed at killing the adult mosquitoes which are the carriers of the virus.

The Director is advising residents to keep their windows open when the fogging is in progress so that the mist can infiltrate their homes, thus killing the mosquitoes within and curbing the spread of the virus.

He is also advising that in an effort to avoid the risks of health complications as a result of the fogging exercises, residents exercise caution by covering water and securing all food items (uncooked and cooked) to prevent contamination; securing all domestic animals and poultry and keeping asthmatic persons, young children and the elderly away from the direct flow of the fog.

The continued fogging initiative commenced on Tuesday and is expected to continue during the hours of 05:00h and 22:30h daily.

West Ruimveldt, East Ruimveldt, Alexander Village, East La Penitence, Tucville, South Ruimveldt, North Ruimveldt, Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Laing Avenue, North East La Penitence, Meadow Brook Gardens, Durban Backlands, Lodge, Albouystown, Charlestown, Werk-en-Rust and Wortmanville are among the areas that have already been fogged.

The fogging initiative is expected to continue today in South and North Sophia, Prashad Nagar and surrounding communities.

The Chikungunya virus is being spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito

A senior official of the Health Ministry says the Chikungunya virus is rapidly spreading, moving from Berbice and now infecting people across the country.

“The virus has moved from the Region Six, Berbice, Canje area; it has indeed begun to spread and it is just time before other parts of the country become fully affected. It has begun to spread, it is spreading and it only will get worse… just give it some time,” the official said.

Though there are only 31 confirmed cases thus far, it was noted that this does not necessarily reflect the true extent of the affected persons in the country since many may still be unaware of the virus, or may have not yet accessed medical treatment.

“The numbers will definitely be increasing; there is no doubt about that, like I said, just give it some time,” the Health Ministry official declared.

Opposition Leader David Granger had said: “The Government knows very well what’s happening, why you think it’s fogging, it’s fogging late.”

He told media operatives at a recent A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) press conference on Friday that while some may think that a crisis is looming, the catastrophe is already here.

“Only when the Health Minister was put on the spot then he admitted that the results from lab in Trinidad started to show increasing threat,” Granger said.

Spread

Following the discovery of the first Georgetown victim, who hails from the North Ruimveldt area, Dr Ramsaran had stated that the virus was restricted to the Berbice area and the victim was infected due to the fact that he had worked in the affected areas in Berbice.

He had rebuffed claims that the vector borne disease had spread to the other regions. Previously, there were 19 confirmed cases. However, 12 other cases were confirmed on Tuesday afternoon following the return of the samples which were sent for testing at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago.

Of the 150 samples which were sent to be tested for confirmation of the vector-borne disease, 12 thus far were positive. Seven of the 12 additional confirmed cases of the vector-borne disease, Chikungunya, are said to originate from other places outside of the affected Canje, Berbice area.

According to the information received by this publication, the Chikungunya virus has made its way to other parts of the country with confirmed cases coming from the capital city, Georgetown and other parts of Region Four, as well as Regions Three and Five.

According to the official, three cases have been recorded in West Berbice, Bush Lot, Bath Settlement and Number Nine Village; one each from Ithaca and Mahaicony; one from North Ruimveldt; and one from Crane, West Coast Demerara, Region Three.

While these cases would have been recorded out of the initial affected areas, it is still unclear whether these individuals were visitors to the areas or whether the virus has been spreading despite the efforts to restrict it to the Ancient County since the data is being analysed by Government Epidemiologist, Morris Edwards.

Canada has warned travellers to the Caribbean to protect themselves from mosquito bites as the spread of the Chikungunya disease continues across the Region.

“Consult a health care provider or visit a travel health clinic at least six weeks before you travel,” said the Public Health Agency of Canada in its latest travel update on the virus.

In Guyana, the virus continues to spread and a number of persons have been confirmed with the illness. The Vector Control Services Director has been encouraging persons to burry cans, bottles and other containers that can collect water, and advised that reservoirs should be covered.

The virus was first discovered in the Caribbean on December 23, 2013 in St Martin and has since become a worry for the Caribbean. Since then, local transmission has been identified in 17 countries or territories in the Caribbean or South America, namely Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, The Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guyana (South America), Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Maarten.

As of May 30, a total of 103,018 suspected and 4406 laboratory confirmed Chikungunya cases had been reported from these areas. More than 95 per cent of the cases have been reported from five jurisdictions: The Dominican Republic (38,656 cases); Martinique (30,715); Guadeloupe (24,428); Haiti (6318); and Saint Martin (4113).

Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran on Wednesday reported that the discovery in Berbice was made after 130 blood samples were sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), in Trinidad, for testing. Apart from the positive samples which have been returned, an additional 82 suspected cases have been identified by the New Amsterdam Hospital and have been sent for testing.

Meanwhile, scores of persons have been visiting hospitals in the region with symptoms similar to those of Chikungunya.

The Chikungunya virus is transmitted by aedes egypti mosquitoes

Atlanta’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is advising US travellers to the Caribbean to protect themselves from mosquito bites, in light of the raging chikungunya virus there.

The warning was issued at the start of the summer vacation period when travel to the Region increases.

According to news reports over the weekend, the viral illness has surfaced across the US carried by recent travellers to the Caribbean.

The virus is transmitted by aedes egypti mosquitoes and there is no vaccine for the illness.

While the virus does not typically lead to death, conditions can become debilitating. Symptoms can become emphasised and dangerous for adults over 65, newborns and individuals who already have health issues like diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure. Most common symptoms are fever and joint pain as well as headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. Joint pain can take up to a few months or longer for full recovery.

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) last week reported that the number of confirmed and suspected cases rose to 135,651, up from just over 100,000 on June 2.  The virus has been detected in 20 Caribbean countries and territories, with the largest outbreak in The Dominican Republic.

CARPHA said travellers to the following Caribbean islands are at risk of getting chikungunya: Anguilla, Antigua, British Virgin Island, Dominica, The Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, St Martin, St Vincent and the Grenadines and St Maarten (Dutch). The Dominican Republic has had more than 77,000 suspected cases since January, including 20,000 new suspected cases in the last week.

Confirmed cases were reported in North Carolina, Nebraska and Indiana last week. Florida with 25 cases has the majority in the US, according to the CDC.

Trinadad and Tobago (TT) Health Minister Fuad Khan said his country has been working hard to prevent the virus from coming to his country.

“The reason TT hasn’t gotten Chikungunya yet is because a lot of work is being done by agencies, including the Insect Vector Unit and others, to try to control mosquito spread. TT can stay free of this if we keep doing the right things…Use insect repellant or citronella oil. Check water storage units or your plants daily. If necessary, call the Insect Vector Control Unit and they’ll come and spray,” he added.

Travellers to Africa, Asia, and islands in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific are also at risk as the virus is present in many of these areas.