Life
Dominica records its first case of Chikungunya
Dominica has recorded its first case of the chikungunya virus but health officials say there is no cause for alarm.
“We can confirm that we have the first local case of chikungunya in Dominica, but there is no need for any alarm at this time,” said Chief Medical Officer of Dominica, David Johnson, adding that it was ”very importantly for us we want to establish if there are any other cases in Dominica”.
Earlier this week the Trinidad & Tobago-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) said it is working closely with other partners after the region recorded its first ever case of chikungunya.
Late last month, CARPHA said it had received notification of 10 confirmed cases of locally acquired chikungunya virus infection on the the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.
Chikungunya is a viral disease, carried mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and causes a dengue-like sickness. Symptoms include a sudden high fever, severe pain in the wrists, ankles or knuckles, muscle pain, headache, nausea, and rash. Joint pain and stiffness are more common with chikungunya than with dengue.
The symptoms appear between 4 to 7 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. The majority of clinical signs and symptoms last three to 10 days, but joint pain may persist longer. Severe cases requiring hospitalization are rare.
CARPHA executive director Dr. James Hospedales told reporters (CMC) “the Caribbean is at risk, exactly what will happen in the weeks and months ahead we don’t know because it has not been here before but we are at risk”.
