Seven cases of chikungunya confirmed in other parts of country : –Health Minister urges residents to keep surroundings clean

THE chikungunya virus has made its way to other parts of the country, with seven of the 12 newly confirmed cases emanating from Regions Three, Four and Five, and the City.Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran during an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA) yesterday, said there were three cases from West Berbice, namely Bath Settlement, Bush Lot, and Number 9 Village; one each from Mahaicony and Ithaca; one from North Ruimveldt; and one from Crane, on the West Coast Demerara, in Region Three.
According to the Minister, on July 1, upon receiving the results of samples that were sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago, it was confirmed that the disease has spread.
The 12 more cases of the mosquito-borne disease have brought the total number of cases to 31 thus far.
The Minister said that at the moment, it is unknown whether these individuals contracted the disease in Berbice, where it first originated, but epidemiologist, Dr. Morris Edwards, is analysing the data.
Prior to the new confirmations, there were 19 confirmed cases, all originating in the Canje, East Berbice area, in Region Six. In late May, Guyana recorded it first cases of the chikungunya virus, these being a toddler and a woman in her 40s, both from the Canje area.
The Ministry’s vector control services immediately sprang into action and began conducting extensive fogging and spraying exercises in the area.
The Minister said that due to the increase in the number of cases, heightened control methods will be put in place, but individuals will have to keep their surroundings clean, so as the mosquitoes will have little or no ground in which to breed.
He said that these types of mosquitoes do not only breed in dirty water, but also fairly fresh and clean water, so one of the best solutions is to ensure all containers that can retain water and act as a breeding ground are disposed of, and drums and tanks used for storing water for household purposes are covered.
Further public health measures are still ongoing across the City to eliminate adult mosquitoes, including both indoor and outdoor fogging.
Chikungunya is transmitted to humans by way of the Aedes Egypti mosquito. It can result in some long-term effects, primarily joint pains. Depending on an individual’s body reaction, after the incubation period, persons may experience pain even after seeking medical attention. This period can last from two to six days, with symptoms lasting four to seven days after infection.
Individuals experiencing any such symptoms are asked to visit a health facility as soon as possible.
According to information from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) as of June 27, 2014, a total of 259,723 suspected and 4,721 laboratory-confirmed chikungunya cases had been reported in the Caribbean, Central America, or South America.
The disease was first reported in the Caribbean in December 2013, and has since touched Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the US Virgin Islands. (GINA)