Publication: Weekend Nation
Paper Section And Page: 3
Paper Date: Fri, Feb 8, 2002
Byline: Terry Ally
A MAJOR DENGUE FEVER OUTBREAK has prompted senior health officials to devise a
national action plan to combat the sometimes deadly disease.
It comes against the background of an upsurge in cases over the last four months. It is not that such "fluctuations" (as Senior Medical Officer Dr Ronald Knight preferred to describe them) are not usual but what was unusual was that Type 3 of the virus was predominant. This strain is associated with dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome which can be fatal unless treated early.
Two polyclinics see this upsurge as an epidemic but their boss, Dr Knight, does not agree.
"In Barbados, dengue fever has now progressed to epidemic proportions," the Black Rock Polyclinic wrote in its report to him, while the Sir Winston Scott Polyclinic stated that "the incidence of dengue has reached epidemic proportions". An official at a third polyclinic suggested to the WEEKEND NATION that it was a "semi-epidemic".
Knight last night said: "I would not agree with them. They would not be in a position to come up with a definition. An epidemic is defined as 'an occurrence of cases significantly above the norm'." While he agreed that the word "significant" was arbitrary, he said that he did not get the sense of an epidemic compared to the "major ones" which occurred in 1985 and 1987.
Despite whatever the definition all parties are concerned and agreed that they must step up action to bring the Aedes aegypti mosquito under control. In a meeting on January 25, Knight, who met with senior personnel from the island's six polyclinics, gave them 48 hours to devise a ten-point plan for each jurisdiction, said one health official. These reports, Knight told the WEEKEND NATION, will be used to set up a national plan.
Topping the list of planned action by each polyclinic were staggered working hours so that officers can work at night and on weekends to get into homes which are normally closed during normal working hours and also the prosecution of habitual offenders. Since the last epidemic four years ago, the number of cases declined but has since started increasing again.
In 1997 the number of cases was 2 049 (and was classified as an epidemic), in 1998 it dropped to 1 150, and in 1999 it plummeted to 600. The following year there was a nine per cent increase with a total of 655 cases and then up to the end of last November, the figure increased by a further 20 per cent to stand at 785 cases. In the first month of this year, there were 100 suspected cases.