Health Ministry still battling to control Chikungunya virus

Aug 24, 2014 News

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By Sharmain Grainger
Even as unconfirmed reports of a child dying with symptoms of the Chikungunya virus in Bartica surface, the Ministry of Health is adamant that it is continuing a fervent fight against the viral disease.

The Ministry has admitted to just over three scores of confirmed cases of the virus, spread across the country, but has not yet acknowledged any associated deaths. But based on reports reaching this publication, a young child passed away at the Bartica Hospital suffering from severe dehydration.
This publication was told that the mother of the child claimed she was away and left the child in the care of a relative but returned to find the child very ill. The child was treated at the Region Seven hospital, but reportedly died there last week.
According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) while the disease is not lif- threatening, there are conditions that can develop that can be terminal. And among the symptoms that can occur, the CDC outlines, is that of dehydration, hence it is recommended that infected persons “drink fluids to prevent dehydration.”
According to reports out of the Bartica Hospital, no laboratory tests have been conducted on patients exhibiting symptoms of the virus, who sought medical attention there. It was related that patients are instead treated for whatever symptoms they manifest.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, during a recent interview with this publication, said that combating the virus, which was first confirmed in these parts in May of this year, has been proving to be very taxing on the public health system.
“In terms of case management it is a lot of work, so the doctors have all been apprised; they are using the standard protocol we have in place for treatment and diagnosis, and that happens regardless of testing,” informed Dr Persaud.
The Chikungunya virus is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which is also known to transmit dengue fever. It is characterised by symptoms including headache, nausea, skin rash, high fever and muscle and joint pains. The latter pains can prove to be quite debilitating over a prolonged period, the World Health Organisation has said.
In recent weeks, many persons from across the country have been coming forward with Chikungunya-like symptoms. Some of them have expressed concerns that they are not subjected to give blood samples for testing but rather are given treatment and sent home.
Since there is no specified treatment for the virus, patients are administered symptomatic treatment.
Dr Persaud in addressing the concerns about the protocol that has been adopted by health facilities to deal with the virus informed that while samples are still taken from some patients, testing may not always occur. This, according to him, “is because of the overload on the capacity of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Laboratory.”
Because of its limited testing capacity, which translates to no qualified laboratory technician to test for the virus here, the Health Ministry has been relying on the Trinidad-based CARPHA to confirm suspected cases of the virus.  In fact countries throughout the Caribbean plagued with the virus have been depending on CARPHA to facilitate testing for the virus.
The local health sector, according to Dr Persaud, was therefore forced to revise its protocol for testing.
“Right now we are testing persons from new areas that have not been exposed or from where we don’t have cases recorded, or those cases that we think are unique and where there are some doubts because the symptoms (that we have been seeing) they are varied sometimes,” explained Dr Persaud. He noted that the Ministry is engaged in facilitating some very targeted testing.
But according to Dr Persaud, “testing does not influence (the) treatment that is applied, so we will continue to apply the (revised) treatment protocol.”
With the increasing number of suspected cases seen by health facilities across the country, he divulged that there has been a high demand on medication, leading to depletion in the system. But according to the CMO, measures are in place to supplement depleted treatment wherever gaps exist.
The virus, which was first detected in Canje, East Berbice, Region Six, has since been confirmed in other areas of the country including Regions Three, Four, Five and 10, Dr Persaud said. According to him, too, at least three confirmed cases in Region 10 have been categorised as imported cases, as they are not believed to have occurred in that section of that country but were rather caused by travel to infected areas.
Meanwhile, the CMO noted that the health sector is continuing its efforts to encourage the population to ensure that they protect themselves first by reducing the breeding sites of the transmitting vectors.  He however related that while this is not a Health Ministry responsibility, efforts are still being made to collaborate with other agencies to raise awareness in this regard. “There have been a lot of education programmes on actions people can take to protect themselves, like the use of mosquito nets, the use of repellent and controlling breeding sites around their homes…and I think those messages have gotten out,” said Dr Persaud.

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