By: Barrie Quappé RN, BSN – Consultant/Director:
April 2016 yielded a case of dengue, but Cayman Islands health officials state it has been imported:
“Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez confirmed in a press release this week that a Cayman Islands resident had returned from a “dengue endemic country” with the virus. He did not specific which country.”
While the good news is we have managed to stave off both dengue and the Zika virus, vigilance is key. Globally the cost of dengue is on the rise. Note this report that speaks in part, to the cost on our region:
“High-income countries and regions of central and eastern Europe, western Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean bore the brunt of ambulatory care costs.” (Vestin, 2016)
Locally we have an excellent office that is dedicated to prevention of these mosquito-borne diseases. The activities of the Mosquito Research and Control (MRCU) unit can be found here: http://mrcu.ky/monitoring-control-activities/
Frankly, the best thin home owners can do is to ensure there are no ready habitats for the mosquitos such as pails/buckets that partially fill with rainwater, trapped gutters, overturned containers, old tires and the like. As far as a cure for dengue, MRCU states:
“There is no vaccine or cure for Dengue so the only answer is through mosquito control.”
MRCU is doing what they can. Are we?
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Relevant Links:
- Legge, D. (2016) ‘Imported case of dengue reported in Cayman’, Cayman Compass – https://www.caymancompass.com/2016/04/28/imported-case-of-dengue-reported-in-cayman/
- Vestin, N. (2016) ‘Study says dengue affects 58 million, costs $9 billion a year’, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy – http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/04/study-says-dengue-affects-58-million-costs-9-billion-year