CARPHA records 303 confirmed cases of dengue in Guyana

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has recorded 303 confirmed cases of dengue in Guyana, as of the first week of August.
According to a report released by the Agency, the laboratory confirmed 303 cases – which is a long climb from 142 probable cases in 2015. Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) had published a Zika-Epidemiological Report on Guyana and had reported the rise in dengue cases.
However, that report indicated that there were 303 probable cases of the disease which had not yet been confirmed. According to the report, there was an incident rate of 37.5 cases per 100,000 of the Guyanese population.
Of recent, dengue has been eclipsed by the emergence of Chikungunya and Zika, all of which are transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The symptoms of all three of the viruses are identical, making it difficult to differentiate them. The symptoms include fever, rash, headache, and muscle and joint pain.
Although, the Public Health Ministry has embarked on an intense fogging exercise and donation of treated mosquito nets, critics are calling on the institution to set up a strong education and awareness programme against the spread of the virus and its agent.
Also, while the CARPHA has trained two Guyanese medical technologists from the National Public Health Reference Laboratory to test for the three vector-borne diseases, Guyana continues to send samples to the Agency in Trinidad and Tobago for testing.
The laboratory in Guyana was selected to be the principal testing site, since the cases of mosquito-borne diseases in the country were on the rise. So far, there have been 5375 reported cases of Chikungunya, with 264 confirmed cases and 35 confirmed cases of Zika in Guyana.
The Ministry has urged persons to get rid of breeding sites for mosquitoes by disposing of old tyres and containers in their yards that have stagnant water. They were also urged to keep their drains and waterways clean and dispose of their garbage properly.