Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is facing a new problem of dengue

Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines: At the time of COVID19 crises, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is facing a new problem of dengue. A 10-year-old girl has become the freshest person to die of dengue fever, with this number of persons killed due to dengue fever goes to 1,617.

Health Minister stated on Monday that the girl had “an underlying cardiac condition” when she was admitted to this Milton Cato Memorial Hospital on Nov. 14.

The death of this girl is the first death after October, and then a 30-year-old lady had been died due to this dengue fever.

Meantime, the Ministry of Health said that there had been a regular decrease in the number of laboratories confirmed cases of dengue fever as epidemiological week 41 — he week ending Oct. 10, when 194 new cases were recorded.

“There has also been a drop in clinically diagnosed cases of dengue fever,” the release said.

The report said that the illness continues to affect all health districts, with most cases reported as happening in persons who live in the Pembroke, Kingstown and Calliaqua Health Districts.

The Vector Control Unit continues to execute an intensified integrated vector control programme pointed at reducing the mosquito, which spreads the dengue virus, by source reduction, the ministry said.

Ministry also added that as an increased number of fogging teams has allowed for more regular fogging with larvicidal factors in all communities in a targeted way. The effectiveness of these interventions is endorsed by the decline in the mosquito breeding indices throughout the country in the first half of November when compared with the month of October 2020.

Persons with signs of dengue fever are asked to seek medical care early and comply with the advice given to avoid the possible complications of dengue fever infections.

Home treatments also work in the dengue fever, and it should be a focus on reducing the fever by using cool, not cold baths, acetaminophen (paracetamol) not ibuprofen and maintaining hydration by drinking lots of fluids such as coconut water.

The early and regular use of papaya leaf extract for five days in persons with dengue fever symptoms is encouraged.