Local dengue infections continue to grow

(CNS): Four more people have contracted dengue fever locally, test results from the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre confirmed this week. Public health officials said that since the beginning of this year, 31 cases of dengue have been investigated with eight new cases reported since last week’s regular public service update. Another person has been admitted to hospital and nine test results were returned. The total number of results received by the local health officials since the start of last year is 105. Forty of these have proved positive and 61 negative while four were inconclusive. There are currently a further 20 cases awaiting results. Of the 40 confirmed cases over the last thirteen months, only 12 reported a travel history to endemic countries. The remaining 28 acquired the dengue locally.

Of the 28 local transmissions, 24 patients were were from West Bay, two were living in the capital of George Town and two more in Bodden Town. Since the surge of local cases began, 29 people have been admitted to hospital with dengue fever, which can be extremely serious and even fatal but so far all local patients have made a full recovery.