KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Portland Health Department has adopted an integrated vector management approach in the fight against dengue fever in the parish.

Portland is among the parishes with the highest rates of infection.

Medical Officer of Health for the parish, Dr Sharon Lewis said the strategy involves public education and sensitisation, fogging and larvicidal activities.

Teams from the health department have also been visiting schools, health facilities, and communities to educate and mobilise persons, to prevent the spread of the disease.

Dr Lewis noted that there is a schedule for community visits, which is regularly updated based on reports of confirmed or suspected cases.

“We may have had a schedule for a particular area and then we may have to redirect because we realise that as the notifications are coming in, another area is being more greatly impacted by the dengue fever than the area that we had originally planned,” she said.

Dr Lewis said the health department is collaborating with the municipal corporation and the Social Development Commission (SDC) to increase sensitisation about prevention and management of the virus and is appealing for members of the public to cooperate with the vector-control teams.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that is usually a mild illness in which a person may get a fever, headache, joint and muscle pains. Rest and adequate hydration are usually enough to see one through the period of illness. The recommended treatment for the fever is acetaminophen/paracetamol.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness, through resources from the National Health Fund (NHF), has expanded the community strategies through the engagement of stakeholders at the community level.

This involves the provision of resources to undertake dengue mitigation strategies, which include support for the removal of bulky waste and drain-cleaning exercises across the country.

Jamaica declared a dengue outbreak on September 23.

As of September 29, there were 1,117 presumed, suspected, and confirmed dengue cases in the country.

Of that number, 160 are confirmed dengue cases – 158 dengue serotype 2, one serotype 3, and one serotype 4.

All parishes have recorded dengue cases, with Kingston and St Andrew, St Thomas, St Catherine, Portland, and St. James having the most confirmed infections.

-JIS