Jamaica has now recorded over 400 confirmed cases, along with an increase in the number of suspected cases and dengue-related deaths.
Earlier this week, the island’s Ministry of Health and Wellness reported that there were 434 confirmed Dengue cases in the country from approximately 2,107 suspected, presumed, and confirmed cases.
There are now seven dengue-related deaths — five classified as suspected and two as confirmed.
“All parishes continue to observe an increase in dengue cases this year when compared to 2022. Kingston and St Andrew reported the highest number of cases (600) for 2023. However, St Thomas maintains the highest rate of 310.4 cases per 100,000 population, followed by Portland and St Mary,” a ministry release said last night.
Jamaicans in the five to 14-year-old cohort continue to be the most affected by the virus, with a rate of 240.4 cases per 100,000 population, the release said.
The dominant strain of the virus is dengue type 2, which hasn’t been detected on the island since 2010. Health authorities say that because the strain hasn’t been found on the island in over a decade, the younger population is more vulnerable to that strain of dengue.
As of October, children under the age of 18 years began receiving free health care services at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Tufton said the measure is in response to the dengue outbreak, which has caused an influx of cases at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston.
A strain on the health care sector
A triple threat of COVID-19, dengue, and the flu have put additional stress on the island’s health care sector, according to Tufton.
Tufton said he is anticipating that the dengue outbreak will last through to the end of the year, and likely end in the first quarter of 2024.
Since the outbreak was confirmed in September, the ministry has put several mitigation measures in place, which includes a public education campaign, clinical management, destroying mosquito breeding sites (primarily located in the homes of residents), and community fogging.
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is also helping Jamaica fight the outbreak, with an initial donation of USD$500,000.
Read more:
- United States donates half a million dollars to Jamaica dengue fight
- COVID-19, dengue, and flu putting pressure on Jamaican health care system, says Tufton
- Children most affected by dengue outbreak in Jamaica
The U.S. embassy in Kingston also released a health alert on its website for United States citizens traveling to the island.
