If your lady-neighbor seriously thinks she has Chikungunya, please have her and any others be tested. This is very important. Since the symptoms are similar to a flu, high fever, severe joint pains, backache, headache, muscle pain and rash, many people think they have it when they simply have a bad flu, especially if you have a weakened immune system.Originally Posted by smith744
Last year at its peak in October in Kingston, the doctor offices were so full with non-chikungunya patients being tested that steps were taken to ease the burden. Being so over crowded, the government allowed government employees to not have to submit a doctor's note for missing work. Needless to say, many of the government offices were running with "skeleton crews" although the bars and restaurants were still filled with patrons. We were in Kingston at the time. (grin)
The Ministry of Health has intensified its surveillance system to allow quick detection of cases, trained its staff islandwide, strengthened its vector control programme and initiated communication with key partners and stakeholders in executing a multi-sectoral approach to preventing and controlling Chikungunya.
The last new cases reported by the Ministry of Health were in February. Since the contagious stage is limited in time (about 1 week), the mosquito needs to bite a contagious person to spread the virus. It would appear that no one on the island is currently contagious so the virus cannot be spread. The last confirmed cases we know about in Negril were back in the first week of Februrary.
If anyone you know thinks they have it, please advice them to be tested. Although deaths are rare, it does exacerbate previously injured areas such as healed broken bones and arthritis. Those most at risk are infants, the elderly, women in an advanced stage of pregnancy, persons with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension and weakened immune symptoms. Make sure they take pain killers to reduce the fever and pain. However, only Paracetamol pain killers should be used. DO NOT TAKE pain killers such as aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs. They can call the Toll Free line, 1-888- ONE LOVE ( 1-888-663-5683) or contact your Parish Health Department, for more information.
And of course use mosquito spray and the coils at night....
As you can see below, this is a world wide issue. Countries and territories where locally contracted chikungunya cases have been reported:
AFRICA
Benin
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Guinea
Kenya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritius
Mayotte
Nigeria
Republic of Congo
Reunion
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
Zimbabwe
EUROPE
Italy
France
OCEANIA/PACIFIC ISLANDS
American Samoa
Federal States of Micronesia
New Caledonia
Papua New Guinea
Tonga
ASIA
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Cambodia
China
India
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Maldives
Myanmar (Burma)
Pakistan
Philippines
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Timor
Vietnam
Yemen
AMERICAS
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Colombia
Costa Rica
Curacao
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
French Guiana
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Martinique
Mexico
Montserrat
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Puerto Rico
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Martin
Sint Maarten
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
United States
US Virgin Islands
Venezuela
