Jamaica braces for more Chikungunya virus

The Health Ministry is warning that it expects more imported cases of the Chikungunya virus.
According to the Ministry although it has increased surveillance at the island’s ports of entry, the pattern of travel makes it likely that there will be persons visiting who are carrying the virus.

The Ministry held a press conference yesterday where it announced that Jamaica now has two locally transmitted cases of the Chikungunya virus, in addition to two imported cases.

Director of Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services at the Ministry of Health Dr. Marion Bullock DuCasse, said the Ministry is bracing for more cases.

And with the new school year three weeks away, the Ministry of Health says it’s concerned that students may be exposed to the Chikungunya virus.  Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson says he has given instructions for his Ministry to work closely with school administrators in order to protect students.

In the meantime, Education Minister Reverend Ronald Thwaites says the Ministry will be seeking guidance from the Health Ministry to protect schools from mosquito-borne diseases.

In the meantime, the Portmore Municipal Council has stepped up its vector control programme to prevent the spread of the Chikungunya virus in one of the largest populated areas on the island. Acting Mayor of Portmore, Leon Thomas, says the Municipal Council has been busy cleaning drains and conducting fogging exercises to control the mosquito population in Portmore.

The Chikungunya virus is carried by the aedes aegypti mosquito which is common in Jamaica.

credit: rjrnews