From Caribbean360

Health authorities say persons who have contracted the mosquito borne disease, Chikungunya, should remain home as Dominica recorded more than 31 cases of the disease so far.

ROSEAU, Dominica, Monday February 17, 2014, CMC – Health authorities say persons who have contracted the mosquito borne disease, Chikungunya, should remain home as Dominica recorded more than 31 cases of the disease so far.

Chikungunya is a viral disease that is spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito and the island recorded its first case on January 16 this year.

“The numbers keep changing on a daily basis … we have a number of suspected cases and we have a number of confirmed cases.  The last count that we have in terms of confirmed cases was 31 cases and we have other persons who have not been confirmed.

“We’re asking the persons with the disease to remain at home and to use mosquito nets when they are sleeping and other persons to use mosquito repellents as well,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr David Johnson, adding that it was advisable that people take precautionary measures to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.

“We’re asking persons to avoid the spreading of the disease or if they are infected with Chikungunya to ensure that they sleep under a mosquito net that is treated with insecticide,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Health would be sourcing treated mosquito nets for distribution.

Health authorities have said the disease have spread to several areas across the island and Dr. Johnson said most of the cases could “be managed at home without having to admit them to the hospital”.

He said there was no cause for alarm for the disease whose symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, rash, and joint pain.

Acute Chikungunya fever typically lasts a few days to a few weeks.

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/dominica_news/1106753.html?utm_source=Caribbean360+Newsletters&utm_campaign=569dc3f670-Vol_9_Issue_034_News2_17_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_350247989a-569dc3f670-39393477#ixzz2taoXAZGY

EDITOR NOTE: there are NO reported cases of Chikungunya fever in the Cayman Islands.

See related story:

Dengue fever cases on upswing

By Clare Mellor From Herald News Halifax

When her daughter’s fever wouldn’t subside following a vacation south last March, Pearleen Mofford decided to take her to the IWK Health Centre’s emergency department.

“The fever was extremely high … and then she started to develop this really bad rash,” Mofford recalls.

“Her skin was completely discoloured and turning purple.”

Mofford, her daughter and an exchange student from France, who was staying with them, had just spent March break in Barbados.

Her daughter, then 15, developed severe flu-like symptoms the day after their return. A few days later, the exchange student also fell ill.

An infectious disease specialist determined that both teens had dengue fever. The illness is caused by a virus spread by infected mosquitoes (mostly Aedes aegypti) in tropical and subtropical climates, such as the Caribbean, Mexico, Asia, Africa, Central America, South America and southern parts of the United States.

“My daughter was in the hospital for six days and the exchange student was in the hospital for three,” Mofford recalls.

“Both the girls were on IVs until their fevers broke.”

Mofford says even though both girls recovered, the experience was unsettling.

“It is a bit scary because there is no treatment for dengue. All they can do is keep them hydrated,” Mofford said in a recent interview.

“(My daughter) didn’t really bounce back from it until August.”

Virologist Robert Anderson of Dalhousie University is trying to unlock the puzzle of dengue, for which there is no effective treatment or vaccine.

Dengue fever cases have dramatically increased over the past several decades, with the virus now infecting about 400 million people worldwide annually, said Anderson, a professor in Dal’s department of microbiology and immunology.

“Even in Canada, there is a couple of hundred cases (reported) each year, mainly from people returning from holiday in tropical areas of the world.

“This is a number that is probably a gross underestimate.”

Also known as “break bone fever,” dengue fever usually produces a bad fever, with headache, exhaustion and joint pain. In rare cases, it can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever, which causes bleeding and shock, and can be fatal.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website, the majority of Caribbean islands are reporting higher numbers of dengue cases than previous years, particularly in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthelemy and Saint Martin.

The virus first piqued Anderson’s interest about 20 years ago when he was doing a sabbatical with the United States army’s research lab in Thailand.

Anderson has been studying the virus ever since, and is working in collaboration with immunologist Jean Marshall, professor and head of the department of microbiology and immunology at Dalhousie. Anderson has also partnered with a research group in Taiwan, which is carrying out vaccine-oriented research on dengue fever.

Various centres around the world are trying to develop vaccines for dengue, but a major breakthrough hasn’t yet happened.

“The lack of a vaccine isn’t because people aren’t trying. Companies and universities are really actively trying because it is such an important disease,” Anderson said.

He believes an answer to dengue lies in a better understanding of the mechanism by which the virus causes disease, which is a main focus of Dalhousie scientists.

“We really need to understand the immunity to dengue because it is totally unique for any virus infection.”

Anderson said immunity to dengue is “a double-edged sword.” Antibodies that protect you against dengue can also increase the risk for severe dengue disease.

“That’s one of the problems in developing a dengue vaccine because, of course, the objective of any vaccine is to produce antibodies and other types of immunity that will neutralize the virus,” he said.

Because her daughter had such a severe case of dengue, Mofford says she will have to be careful in the future because another bout of the disease could be even worse.

When travelling in a tropical country, she will have to wear mosquito repellent containing DEET, and long-sleeve shirts and pants.

“I wouldn’t not travel because of dengue but there are things we’ll do differently now,” Mofford said.

“It is something now that we have to think about.”

Besides taking precautions against mosquito bites, Anderson recommends that anyone travelling visit a travel clinic before going. He also advises to check with the Public Health Agency of Canada website www.phac-aspc.gc.ca. That site has advice and up-to-date alerts on viral, parasitic and bacterial disease outbreaks in various countries.

PHOTO: A mosquito inside a test tube for later analysis for dengue fever in Guatemala. A Dalhousie University infectious disease specialist is working on a vaccine. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

For more on this story go to:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1187570-dengue-fever-cases-on-upswing

See also iNews Cayman related stories:

1. Dated February 16 2014 “Canada expands chikungunya travel health warning for the Caribbean” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/canada-expands-chikungunya-travel-health-warning-for-the-caribbean/

2. Dated February 4 2014 “Chikungunya in the Caribbean: 247 new cases reported last week of January” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/chikungunya-in-the-caribbean-247-new-cases-reported-last-week-of-january/

3. Dated January 13 2014 “Region at risk from spread of chikungunya virus” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/region-at-risk-from-spread-of-chikungunya-virus/

4. Dated January 7 2014 “Chikungunya Update” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/chikungunya-update/

5. Dated January 1 2014 “Caribbean chikungunya outbreak grows, poses threat to US “ at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/caribbean-chikungunya-outbreak-grows-poses-threat-to-us/