ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — As the St Elizabeth Health Service continues to tackle the spread of dengue fever, citizens have been urged to destroy mosquito breeding sites.

Speaking at the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting in Black River on Thursday, Medical Officer of Health, St Elizabeth Health Department, Dr Tonia Dawkins-Beharie, said since the outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness in September last year, 410 suspected cases have been reported.

According to a release on Friday, some 62 of these cases were reported from January to March 13, according to the medical officer of health.

“This is more cases reported [when compared to the same period] last year, and we are asking everybody to ensure that you search and destroy mosquito breeding sites and protect yourselves from being bitten,” Dr Beharie urged.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne illness that can cause serious illness, including significant bleeding. Symptoms include fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle pain, bleeding and abdominal pain.

Individuals experiencing these symptoms are advised to report to the nearest health centre or medical practitioner for assessment and treatment.

“We, however, have seen a decrease in cases over the past few weeks, but we still get reports of suspected cases to our health department. So, we asked everyone to help maintain their vigilance,” Dr Beharie said.

She also cautioned against the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or medications containing aspirin, as they can worsen the symptoms of dengue.

Dr Beharie has recommended that people stick to paracetamol and seek medical intervention if necessary.

In the meantime, the St Elizabeth’s Aedes Index, which monitors the burden of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that causes the transmission of dengue, is currently at 10.8 per cent for the past month, down from 11.4 per cent the previous month.

Dr Beharie noted that despite this slight decrease, health officials continue to conduct house-to-house surveillance and health education activities.

“We are still in the midst of dengue, so we’re still monitoring the situation closely,” she pointed out.