KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, Wednesday expressed concern at the possibility of a dengue outbreak as the island records an increase in suspected cases.
Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton at the news conference on Wednesday.Tufton told a news conference that data from the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s Surveillance Unit showed that as of Monday September 11, there were 316 suspected, presumed and confirmed cases of mosquito borne diseases.
“For us, it represents a concern, clearly not a panic, but a concern because it is almost five times or a five-fold increase when compared to the corresponding period in 2022, where 65 cases were reported,” he told reporters.
The minister said the data identified from the lab results on Monday have also revealed two different types of dengue, with 38 cases confirmed as dengue serotype 2, and one identified as dengue serotype 4.
He said that while Jamaica has seen continuous local transmission of the dengue virus since 1977, the presence of the Type 2 strain has not predominated in the population since 2010.
“Confirmed cases were detected in Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Thomas, St. Catherine, Westmoreland, Portland, and St. Ann. When you look from the population perspective, the parishes in southeast St. Thomas, Kingston and St. Andrew and St. Catherine have the highest dengue activities at this particular time,” he said, adding that the younger population is also at a higher risk of contracting dengue fever.
“It is important to highlight that of the 39 confirmed cases of dengue, a total of 20 belong in the 5-to-14-year-old age group…and so part of the call from Ministry of Health is to encourage parents to treat children who have a fever with paracetamol and to avoid aspirin and aspirin-like medication such as ibuprofen and diclofenac,” Tufton said.
“And so, part of the call from the Ministry of Health and Wellness is to encourage parents, to treat children who have a fever with paracetamol and to avoid aspirin and aspirin-like medications such as Ibuprofen,” he added.
