Saint Lucians Urged To Be Alert Amid 40 Dengue Cases This Year

Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Health has issued a dengue fever advisory, urging the public to be alert as the country has recorded forty cases for the year. “From January 1st 2024, to date, 40 confirmed cases of Dengue fever have been recorded on the island,” Medical Surveillance Officer Dr. Dana DaCosta-Gomez disclosed. “It is important to note that 50% of these cases were recorded in the month of August, which is a 200% increase in documented cases from the previous month,” Gomez stated. In a statement Tuesday, Medical Surveillance Officer, Dr. Dana DaCosta-Gomez called on citizens to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease and becoming infected. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne illness caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can be found naturally in Saint Lucia. The disease is known to be more prominent during the rainy season, which the Caribbean is currently experiencing. Dr. Gomez noted that Saint Lucia’s dengue spike aligns with the seasonal rainfall patterns when conditions favour mosquito breeding. She said that although dengue fever cases have been reported throughout the Island, the communities in the south and southeast have recorded more cases. “Most infections have been observed in persons 25...