WE HAVE AN EPIDEMIC ON OUR HANDS
We have an epidemic in Guyana. We have a Chikungunya epidemic.
The fact that it is estimated that some 2,500 persons may be infected with the Chikungunya virus is enough reason to declare Guyana as having an epidemic.
I know that there is a high economic cost attached to making such a declaration, but unless this is done we are going to find ourselves in an uncontrollable situation in this country.
Chikungunya is serious. This is not your normal viral infection that causes the flu. This is one virus that does not go away with sleep and medication in five days. The symptoms are not just restricted to high fevers and a rash. There are terrible joint pains and most patients are seriously weakened by this virus. This virus is debilitating.
We have long passed the stage of primary infections. It is now clear that secondary infections are taking place. And once secondary infections reach certain parameters, an epidemic can be declared.
When the infection rate of a virus reaches an epidemic stage, it is necessary to go beyond merely concentrating on the carrier of the virus. You do not treat epidemic by concentrating solely on the carrier.
The Chikungunya virus did not originate in Guyana. There were infections in other countries of the Caribbean before the first case was diagnosed locally. The mosquitoes carrying the virus did not fly across the Caribbean Sea and invade Guyana. No, it is most likely that some infected person from somewhere brought the virus to Guyana, was bitten by a mosquito and then another mosquito would have bitten the newly infected person and thus began the spread.
We are now having secondary infections. And because of the large number of such cases, it is high time that a Chikungunya epidemic be declared in Guyana.
A national emergency should be declared. Our epidemiologists and public health officials should be assembled so that this epidemic can be confronted.
Unless this is done we are going to continue to have responses which concentrate on targeting the mosquito population. This may be necessary but it is too limiting a response. It is not the sort of response that is needed for an epidemic and especially more so considering the rate of reproduction of mosquitoes. It is impossible to destroy the mosquito population in Guyana. If this were the case, malaria would have long been eradicated.
A few decades ago when malaria was decimating the interior of Guyana, the emphasis was not on fogging. You do not fog jungles and hinterland communities. That would be mission impossible. Instead, the emphasis was on restricting secondary infections. And so a great deal of attention was paid to the distribution of mosquito nets. This has not eradicated malaria but it has significantly reduced its incidence from what has existed before when entire families were being wiped out by malaria.
We must not assume that getting rid of mosquitoes is the solution to the Chikungunya outbreak. This sort of assumption would lead to the wrong emphasis such as the advice being offered from City Hall for persons to prevent Chikungunya by cleaning their drains.
Cleaning the drains will help but does not remove the threat. The threat will remain and the greater emphasis should be on reducing secondary infections. What is needed are a range of responses that goes beyond fogging. We are always going to be fighting a losing battle if the emphasis is on trying to reduce the mosquito population or to reduce being bitten by mosquitoes.
The emphasis should be on reducing secondary infections, that is, the risk of being bitten by a mosquito that has bitten an infected person. We do know the type of mosquito that carries the virus but there is no way of knowing which of the billions of those mosquitoes around have bitten someone who has Chikungunya. I cannot look at a mosquito and say. “Yes, this one has the virus.” As such trying to reduce the mosquito population as the major strategy for reducing Chikungunya will end up being a failed strategy.
There has to be a better strategy to deal with this epidemic that we are facing. It is time that we develop this strategy because unless this is done, we may end up with seventy five per cent of the population carrying the virus and this could be catastrophic for Guyana.