Chikungunya/Dengue Update as of 1 December 2014

Chikungunya update:

• Another patient without travel history has tested positive for chikungunya, the Caribbean Public Health Agency informed the Cayman Islands during the week of 25 November – 1 December 2014.
• This brings the number of locally transmitted cases to 13.
• Onset of symptoms for the positive case was 21 October which means that person is no longer contagious.
• The total number of laboratory confirmed chikungunya cases in the Cayman Islands to date is 37. Another possible 26 cases had travel history to endemic areas. As per CARPHA guidelines, blood samples for suspected cases with travel history to endemic areas are no longer being sent for testing, but are considered possible cases.
• The distribution of confirmed and possible cases has been: George Town – 33;  West Bay – 13; Bodden Town -10, Cayman Brac – four; Little Cayman -two and North Side – one.
• Forty-nine patients have reported travel history to countries experiencing outbreaks.
• There were three suspected cases of chikungunya during the week 25 November – 1 December 2014. One had travelled to Jamaica, and two reported no travel history. The distribution of cases was: George Town – two; North side – one.
• Results of one sample sent in the week of 25 November – 1 December and Thirteen previous samples are awaited.
• The total number of suspected cases of chikungunya reported since 25 June 2014 is 185
• The total number of results received thus far is 140. Thirty-seven have come back positive for chikungunya, 100 negative and three inconclusive.

As of 28 November 2014, 17,339 confirmed/probable cases of chikungunya have been reported by 23 of the 24 CARPHA Member States, and 11 other Caribbean countries/territories. The total number of suspected cases is 772,549

Further information can be obtained through www.hsa.ky. Regional updates can be accessed by visiting the CARPHA website on http://carpha.org/What-We-Do/Public-Health-Activities/Chikungunya. In addition United States updates are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/geo/united-states.html.

Dengue Update:

• During the past week three results have been received from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). All are negative.
• The total number of confirmed dengue cases remains at four
• Distribution of confirmed cases: George Town – one; West Bay- one and Bodden Town – two. The two cases in Bodden Town are locally acquired.

• Chikungunya causes fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.
• Dengue causes high fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eye, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands or rash.
• As both chikungunya and dengue are transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, protection from mosquito bites is the only prevention.
• Use mosquito repellent with DEET on the skin, and wear long sleeve pants and shirts when outside during times that mosquitoes bite, whether in the Cayman Islands or on travels.

IMAGE: www.cdc.gov