An Outbreak of Dengue Fever in Belize; Ministry of Health on High Alert
An outbreak of dengue fever has been reported, seven months into 2019, and the number of cases so far is already more than twice the figures for the entire 2018. The highest number of persons affected is up north. In the Orange and Corozal Districts, there are over three hundred and fifty laboratory confirmed cases and there is reason to believe that it is a trans-border health issue. The Ministry of Health also confirms cases in Cayo and the Stann Creek Districts, but the spike up north is cause for alarm. Dengue fever is painful and debilitating, it is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The Ministry of Health today provided details of the outbreak. Here is Duane Moody.
Duane Moody, Reporting
There is a major dengue outbreak in Belize. According to the statistics, there have been an increased number of infections: two hundred and thirty cases in Orange Walk District; one hundred and twenty-four in Corozal, ninety-eight in Cayo and one hundred and five in Stann Creek. Belize and Toledo have recorded less than twenty laboratory confirmed cases. Those figures combined, not to mention the undocumented cases, are twenty times higher than the numbers up to this time last year. To break it down even further, there are over six hundred confirmed cases of dengue in Belize so far; this is two times the amount recorded for the entire of 2018 and more than the numbers when combining the figures from the past two years. It has thrown the Ministry of Health into a frenzy as they try to contain the spread.
Lorna Perez
Lorna Perez, Surveillance Officer, Ministry of Health
“We are looking at laboratory surveillance, looking at confirmed cases. We had seen an increase of more than usual at the beginning of the year, but it had been a gradual increase. However, in the past five to six weeks, we have noticed a drastic increase in the number of cases. As mentioned earlier, it was mostly concentrated in the north; started in Orange Walk and then it started spreading to Corozal. We had some small numbers in the cayes. However, since we have noticed this increase in the past five to six weeks, we have seen an increase in southern part of the country, Stann Creek District to be more specific and also in the Cayo District. There are communities that have higher number than others.”
The statistics show that children between the ages of five and nine and adults up to thirty-nine years contribute to the bulk of those reported with dengue fever. Surveillance Officer of the Ministry of Health, Lorna Perez, says that across the region, there have been outbreaks in dengue fever and the deadlier dengue hemorrhagic fever. The increased cases in the south are expected, but the rise in the north and west is transboundary.
Lorna Perez
“We need to look first at the impact of what is really happening in our neighbouring countries. If you look at cases coming in from the north, which is where we actually started noticing the increase in cases; you look a bit further out to Quintana Roo and actually the state of Quintana Roo is reporting the highest incidents of dengue for the entire Mexico. So we know we have a lot of movement between the border towns there. And then if you look at the reports coming out of Guatemala and Salvador and Honduras, they are also experiencing a major outbreak at the moment, with Honduras having a high fatality rate related to dengue.”
Now there are four different types of dengue that affect humans, and in any given year, there are two types circulating. But within the region this year, all four stereotypes have been detecting, which Vector Control Chief of Operations, Kim Bautista says can result in the likelihood of having a severe episode of dengue, with hemorrhagic manifestation. Considering that the rainy season is upon us, the ministry is expecting that the figures will increase.
Kim Bautista
Kim Bautista, Chief of Operations, Vector Control Unit
“Through disease modelling and looking at trends that they had started to seeing late in fourth quarter of 2018. So the region on a whole was seeing an increase in cases, so based on those forecasting, they alerted us and told us look we are going to see several outbreaks or we expect several outbreaks. And so back then we started doing some media rounds in March. Since that period we have been seeing an increase in cases, but what the ministry did at that time was to put the regional programmes in country on alert. We have in place whereby our surveillance and management committees within the different districts have developed their dengue preparedness and response plan.”
Kim Bautista is stressing on prevention measures. The Ministry of Health is in high alert and the vector control unit across the country has been spraying and carrying our awareness campaigns on best practices for residents in vulnerable communities.
Kim Bautista
“Dengue is one of those diseases; socioeconomic factors are a big contributing factors. So areas where there is poor infrastructure, drainage, poor housing and these persons being in those areas, it increases the likelihood of coming in contact with the Aedes Egypti vector. We have six district surveillance committees led by various professionals with public health and vector control and nursing background and medical background and what they have done is prepared a preparedness and response plan for their district so that has a component that has to do with vector control, with clinical management, with lab, with education. And so I’ll give you an example, last week in the north, in Corozal, they met with eighteen village leaders to sensitize them on what has been going on and basically engage and start planning things like clean up campaigns.”
The last time Belize has recorded over six hundred cases was back in 2015, but the ministry is concerned about the fact that seven months into 2019, those numbers have already been surpassed. Duane Moody for News Five.
