Barbados Ministry of Health confirms outbreak of dengue fever
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The Barbados Ministry of Health and Wellness has confirmed a dengue fever outbreak in Barbados.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth George, disclosed that the threshold was reached at the end of September, where 518 cases were recorded compared to the same period in 2022, when there were 241 cases.
The Ministry of Health classifies a case of dengue fever as both suspected and confirmed.
Of the 40 confirmed cases of dengue for the year, 28 were recorded in September.
“These recent increases signal the start of a dengue fever outbreak in Barbados in September 2023. There were no confirmed cases in 2022,” the Chief Medical Officer stated.
The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) has also advised that there have been outbreaks in Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Eastern Caribbean, with the dengue virus serotype 2 resulting in some hospitalisations.
There have also been recorded rising cases in the OECS, including Grenada.
The World Health Organisation recently indicated that increased cases of mosquito-borne disease were likely in Europe, the United States of America and Africa, as a result of climate change.
Dengue fever is an acute mosquito-borne febrile illness caused by infection with one of the four known dengue serotypes. It is endemic in Barbados which sees occasional outbreaks.
