KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) – Health authorities have confirmed an outbreak of dengue fever in St Vincent and the Grenadines, three years after the last outbreak claimed at least seven lives, most of them children.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment said on Friday that its Epidemiology Unit has recorded 119 dengue fever cases so far in 2024 and that of those cases, 23 were in June and 82 in July.

“Based on the epidemiological data, the number of lab confirmed cases of dengue fever has exceeded the threshold of the number expected indicating that there is a dengue fever outbreak in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” the ministry said.

The ministry has since urged the public to adhere to all the basic precautionary measures to prevent the spread of vector borne diseases during the summer vacation.

“As we approach the month of August, the public is reminded that we are still within the hurricane season and August is expected to be hotter than normal.

“These weather patterns can create ideal breeding sites for the aedes aegypti mosquito. This mosquito carries Dengue Fever, Zika and Chik V,” the ministry said in a press statement.

It said that to combat the further spread of the dengue virus, the government has implemented Increased public awareness and health education interventions as well as increased surveillance including the use of GIS mapping for more targeted source reduction.

It also strengthened the human resource capacity at the vector control unit with additional staff for source reduction and increased fogging exercise across St Vincent.

At present, a private company has been contracted to provide additional support to the vector control unit for fogging and source reduction in the Southern Grenadines. This is currently ongoing.

“However, we are calling on all homeowners, community groups to search and destroy mosquito breeding sites or those with the potential to become breeding sites in and around your settings,” the ministry said.

People at risk of experiencing severe symptoms of dengue fever are children, pregnant women and the elderly especially those with limited mobility are being advised to take extra precautionary measures as the virus can be deadly.

“The Ministry will continue to monitor the situation closely locally, regionally and internationally and will provide updates to the public accordingly,” the press statement said.