As a regional outbreak persists, public health officials have confirmed a local case of dengue fever most probably imported from the Bahamas by a returning resident.

This is the first dengue case reported in the Cayman Islands for 2011. Last year saw a total of seven confirmed cases (two imported and five with no travel history). In 2008 and 2009 there were only two imported cases each year.

So far this year, Caribbean countries have reported 47 confirmed dengue fever cases, with the Bahamas and Aruba having especially high incidence rates, according to Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) statistics. More than 1000 cases with dengue like symptoms were reported in the Bahamas.