Govt Confirms Chikungunya Case In Bermuda
The Department of Health today [Sept 24] confirmed a case of chikungunya in a person in Bermuda who travelled to a country where chikungunya cases have been reported.
A spokesperson said, “This person was previously known by the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit at the Department of Health to be a suspected case and, as such, received instruction on avoidance of mosquito bites, as mosquitoes spread the illness.
“Additionally, a referral was sent to Vector Control to increase surveillance and put in place control measures in the area. To date, no local spread of the virus has been reported in the Bermuda, though imported cases make local spread possible because the mosquitoes that can transmit the virus are found in Bermuda.
“With frequent travel between Bermuda and affected areas in the Caribbean, the Department of Health continues to work with health care providers and other regional public health partners to monitor possible imported cases.
“The Department of Health wishes to take this opportunity to remind the public that the chikungunya outbreak continues to affect the Caribbean and reiterates the need to reduce mosquitoes locally.
“Bermuda experienced a record-breaking 14 inches of rainfall in August 2014 which means there are likely to be containers of accumulated rainwater around people’s homes, providing breeding sites for mosquitoes, and which need to be checked and emptied out diligently on a weekly basis.
“Chikungunya is not transmitted from direct person to person contact, but a person with the disease can be the source of the virus for mosquitoes that can then transmit the virus to others through a bite. To prevent the spread of the disease, people with chikungunya illness should be especially careful to avoid exposure to mosquitoes during the first week of illness.
“Infections are rarely fatal but can cause severe joint pain, high fever, head and muscle aches, joint swelling and rash. Symptoms usually begin three to seven days after being bitten by a mosquito. There is no vaccine or treatment for the virus. Most people feel better within a week, though some people may develop longer-term joint pain.
“The Department of Health encourages people to protect themselves from mosquito bites at home and while traveling. The Aedes mosquitoes that transmit chikungunya are active and bite during the day. Precautions include:
- Use an approved insect repellent every time you go outside, and follow label instructions.
- Drain standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
- Wear long sleeves and pants when outside.
- Use air conditioning or make sure doors and windows are screened to keep mosquitoes outside.
The statement from the Health Department added, “Travelers to the Caribbean should monitor their health for two weeks after travel. If travelers experience fevers with joint pains or rash they should seek medical attention and inform the health care provider of their recent travel history.
“In December 2013, the World Health Organization [WHO] received reports of the first cases of chikungunya virus in the Americas on the island of Saint Martin. Soon afterward, additional cases were reported in other countries in the Caribbean Region. As of September 6, 2014, cases of chikungunya had been confirmed in twenty states in the Region of the Americas and the total number of confirmed/probable cases stands at 9,640.
“The Caribbean Public Health Agency [CARPHA] continues to test for the chikungunya virus and has scaled up its capability to meet the increased demand for testing in the Caribbean, in light of the evolving epidemic. CARPHA has the only public health laboratory in the English-speaking Caribbean that conducts tests for the chikungunya virus.
“Because the symptoms are similar, the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit encourages physicians to consider both chikungunya and dengue infection in patients with acute onset of fever and joint pain and who have recently visited areas where at least one of the viruses is present.”
“Bermuda is not isolated or removed from international outbreaks of disease and we all have a part to play in keeping Bermuda Healthy,” said the Director of the Department of Health David Kendell.
Bermuda…empty all your buckets if you see them outside standing full of water please!
Buckets are only the beginning . Over the years locals have become very slack or completely unknowledgeable about this issue and our guest workers basically haven’t got a clue . Not slamming anyone , just what I’ve observed first hand in my own neighborhood.
Add to the list standing/dormant fish ponds. Stacked flower pots. Boats without the drain plugs removed or fitted with sagging covers. Tyres laying about , especially in undergrowth. Children’s mini inflatable pools , li-los , canvas or synthetic tarps laying outside .
Also check out your bromeliads if you have them in your garden . mosquitos breed in them like wild fire.
On a whole Bermuda is by far way ahead of other jurisdictions when it comes to controlling the mosquitos …..the vector guys do a helluva job …… They actually into people yards looking for standing water and will leave a note for you to tell you they found standing water on your property.
A lot of guest workers come from places where controlling mosquitos is far more important and well-practiced than in Bermuda. Bug control is a critical part of general hygiene in the tropics, and in temperate climates the mosquitos in the summer can be unbearable. Don’t make assumptions and cast aspersions on people.
difference is this is not their country so they tend to care less…
I think you are taking my compliment to the bermuda vector control guys out of context in no way shape or form am I casting aspersions on anyone or any other jurisdiction but if thatss how you see sobeit….. if these places you speak of that have well practiced Bug control then why so much chikungunya !
this person needs to be quarantined until he can no longer pass it on to the local Aedes aegypti population….. this illness is rampant in the caribbean thank god its not fatal but from all accounts the pain is unreal !
varies person to person…jus like d flu pretty much. aint that bad
I beg to differ I know people who have had it including my parents who are currently dealing with it yes it varies but it’s way worse than the flu this thing is like dengue fever on steroids ….. It has effects that may last years after you have had it.
well like i said varies from person to person, the worst being d elderly. um seen kids have it, everyone and honestly it could be way worse. if your healthy just like the flu thats it…maybe you should tell someone about your parents
maybe you could be a test subject and become infected voluntarily to see if your silly tune changes…
One would believe this person has already been isolated from others…
Try reading the article.
They haven’t
Make sure a mosquito doesn’t bite you? That’s the instructions??? What about when they sleep? Do they have a net? Amazing. Don’t think the MOH is doing enough to combat the risk from this individual. Also check continuous puddles created from air conditioner drains. All it takes is one mosquito do spread the damage.
Thank you, that is exactly what went through my mind when I heard this story on the news. Good to know Bermuda’s strategy to contain diseases. “Please try to not get bit, have a good day!” Yikes.
Did the person ACTUALLY have bites on him/her?!
Use insect repellant containing DEET. Avoid being oitdoors during dusk which is prime mosquito time. Wear sleeves and long pants when you are outside.
Do you mean the DEET that has side effects that can range from dizziness and disorientation to even death?
o noooo my friend from Antigua had this and what she said didn’t sound to nice. She was unable to get out of bed !! its like having a Bad flu from a mosquito !! time to bring out the fog machines !!
My grandmother, who with my grandfather spent many years in Africa, the Sudan, and she contracted malaria, took quinen, sorry not sure of the spelling, but its in tonic water, which helps make the gin taste better, and helped with the reocrance many years later.
I’m more worried about the Ebola than the chicken!
Sounds like these mosquitoes are only active in the daytime but it would be good to get confirmation from the Health Department that they don’t bite during sleeping hours. In terms of repellent, this year I read about eucalyptus oil so I’ve been trying that. Five drops in my hand then mix with a plain lotion and apply to skin. It seems to work great and it’s a lot nicer than DEET and the like. Avon Skin-so-soft also works if you can get it.
You paranoid bucket people are crazy. Do you know how much water there is in bermuda in ponds and marshes to breed? You people get worried about buckets?! Get a life!
I have denge mosquitoes in my yard and i get bit all the time by them and never got sick once. And i live by a marsh and i have water around my property. Do i worry like a little wimp? NO!
jeeeeeeeeeeeeeez!
Ponds and marshes are and always have been an issue . I grew up near one too . A very large one.
Hopefully all of these bodies of water are stocked with killi fish. That’s why they’re not as much of an issue as stagnant water sitting around people’s houses in the items on the list I mentioned above .
So – perhaps its time to open the discussion on the delegates from the Ebola effected regions of Africa who may be coming to Bermuda for the Black Mayors conference. What steps will be taken to protect our population from the possibility of Ebola arriving with them? Should we not be considering a restriction on persons being allowed to travel into the Island from those regions? Frankly, that has me way more concerened than this case of Chikungunya.
This very serious!!! Folks should read the articles in the Gleaner and other Caribbean publications.Just google it! It is spreading rapidly in the Caribbean and hundreds of thousands of people are suffering. The pain is said to be excrutiating and the effects (joint pain) can last for years.
Chingas!
This has nothing to do with mosquitoes..
This is a virus that was placed in the Caribbean to test the resistance.
Much like Ebola, all of a sudden two American doctors contract it and recover.
It’s funny how none do those illnesses generate from the USA with all those slums and trailer parks.