Dengue fever claims two lives

Two deaths have been recorded as a result of the current dengue fever outbreak.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness reported that there was one confirmed case, a 70-year-old male, and a suspected case, a 48-year-old male. The 70-year-old man had shown signs of recovering from dengue and was discharged from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) but was readmitted with another ailment to which he succumbed.

Additionally, the 48-year-old had other severe comorbidities, including chronic renal failure. He also passed away at the QEH.

The current outbreak began in October 2023 and continues into the beginning of the new year. However, the Ministry recently reported that it has shown some signs of slowing down.

Up to the end of December 22, 2023, the total confirmed cases for the year had increased to 428, with 2,105 clinically suspected cases. Type 2 remained the predominant serotype identified, followed by serotype 3 of the dengue virus. This compares to 2022, when there were no confirmed cases and only 24 suspected cases.

Dengue is an acute mosquito-borne febrile illness caused by infection with one of the four known dengue viruses.  It is endemic in Barbados with occasional outbreaks. When symptomatic, persons typically begin to experience fever three to 14 days after infection and may also have headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash. 

In self-limiting disease, recovery generally takes two to seven days. In severe cases, usually heralded by warning signs, infection may result in organ failure and death.   Circulation of multiple virus serotypes increases the risk of severe disease presentations. 

Suspected dengue diagnoses should be notified to the Ministry of Health and Wellness and patients and other family members are reminded to protect themselves from further mosquito bites with appropriate skin coverings, mosquito nets, or chemical insect repellents containing DEET or Picaridin.    

Householders and businesses should check their environs weekly for mosquito breeding and any larvae found should be destroyed. The presence of adult mosquitoes should be reported to the Environmental Health Department of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The general public should also protect themselves from mosquito bites.

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