West Bay remains dengue fever hotspot

| 03/12/2012

Aedes_aegypti_feeding (234x300).jpg(CNS): With another confirmed case of dengue fever in a patient with no recent travel history, at least sixteen people have contracted the disease locally over the last few months. According to public health officials, most of those were resident in West Bay, where the majority of all patients who have been confirmed with fever were living. Since the beginning of the year, public health officials have tested 73 people suspected of having the fever. So far, results have been received for 53 cases, 27 of which have proved positive. Of those 27 confirmed cases, 10 have reported a travel history to endemic countries and 16 had no travel history, suggesting that they acquired the dengue locally.

One patient has not been reached and officials say they cannot confirm whether or not the patient contracted the disease here or overseas.

According to the most recent statistics, 13 of the local transmitted cases were contracted by patients living in West Bay, two in George Town and just one in Bodden Town. Of those that are believed to have picked up the fever overseas, five live in West Bay, three in George Town, and one in Bodden Town.

Since the start of the year, some 18 people have been admitted to hospital with suspected dengue fever and ten cases have now been confirmed. Two suspected cases proved negative, while six of those admissions are awaiting results. A further 14 patients who were not hospitalized are also waiting on results.

It is now more than one week since any new suspected cases were reported, health officials said, and they believe that, with the end of the rainy season, there is now a downward trend in transmissions.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    MRCU needs to quash this before Cayman is added to foreign travel advisories.  Not good coming into peaktourist season.  Take it seriously.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Sorry but it appears that dengue is now endemic to

    Cayman. You need to eradicate it soon.

    • Anonymous says:

      We need to eradicate Cayman?  While it would be an effective response I think it is a little harsh and might not be popular locally.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Poor West Bay, I trust that God will save you from the plauges that have decended upon this most beautiful undeserving district. 

    • Like It Is says:

      But wouldn't God have sent the plague in the first place?  It is one of his weapons of choice after all.

  4. Earl Hickey says:

    Karma?