Chikungunya Virus will continue to spread – says CARPHA Director

Sep 16, 2014 News

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– reveals plans to improve Regional preparedness with ‘expert consultation’

By Sharmain Grainger

The sustained transmission of dengue fever with more frequency and severity over the years should have long been a

warning sign that enough was not being done in the Caribbean to tackle viral diseases. It was therefore no surprise when the Chikungunya virus, which is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits dengue fever – the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, was detected last year in the Caribbean.
The foregoing was a summation vocalised by Director of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Dr. James Hospedales, about the Chikungunya virus outbreak during an interview with this publication. In fact he informed in no uncertain terms that “the virus will continue to spread.
CARPHA has been offering expert service to the affected Caribbean territories by testing for the virus and, according to Dr. Hospedales, an estimated 600, 000 cases of the virus are believed to be in the Caribbean and some 9,000 of these have already been confirmed.
He pointed out that CARPHA has been working in close collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and have together been advising all countries of the Caribbean of the major elements of preparedness including the importance of educating the population about the virus.  Dr. Hospedales also emphasised the need for a high index of suspicion which would enable doctors to be aware of what to expect and therefore ask the right questions when they attend to patients. He also alluded to the need for laboratory capacity to test for the virus but however, noted that “we (CARPHA) provide a very rapid (laboratory) service.  The airlines cooperate well (Caribbean Airlines and LIAT) and usually we turn around the results within 48 hours….so that is part of the regional service we are providing,” said the CARPHA Director.
“To fly to Port of Spain (Trinidad) is hardly any further than coming out from Lethem or Aishalton; so that’s not such a big barrier,” Dr. Hospedales asserted.
And since the Caricom Caribbean countries are home to in excess of 17 million people, Dr. Hospedales said that he is of the firm belief that the Region must brace for the full impact of the virus.
According to him, since the virus first entered the Caribbean six months ago it has been spreading to, at least, one territory per week with bigger territories the likes of Guyana, Haiti, Trinidad, and the Dominica Republic being among the last to be hit.
And in light of the fact that the Region’s preparedness may not be where it should be, Dr. Hospedales spoke of plans to strengthen the response through a strategic move. This, according to him, will be characterised by an expert consultation which will see the coming together of experts who study insects, insecticides and those involved in social communication.  “We need the media and communication authorities to be much more partners in the efforts to educate and inform people,” asserted Dr. Hospedales.
He noted too that besides the general message about cleaning the environment, the most common cause of breeding of the transmitting vector is still by means of water tanks. “People don’t throw that away so what is important is to cover and secure barrels and drums…what is important is to check the yard; discipline (is also important) – twice a week go outside with a checklist then if anybody has fever and the pains typical of Chikungunya or the dengue it is very important to take steps to prevent transmission from one person to the rest of the family or to the neighbours,” said the CARPHA Director.
According to Dr. Hospedales, once an individual is infected he/she should be allowed to rest indoors and efforts must be made to spray those confinements with insecticide. “Spraying all the corners where you know mosquitoes like to hide, is a good tactic and it is a good idea to put on insect repellent so that     the mosquitoes don’t bite you and your loved ones.”
“So those are some of the measures that should be intensified to be better prepared and to slow down the transmission of the virus,” said Dr. Hospedales. And even as the CARPHA Director stressed his belief that the virus will continue to spread, he pointed out that “what we can do is to hope to slow it down to avoid a large number of cases in a very short time because that can disrupt economies.”
The potential disruption Dr. Hospedales linked to the inability of persons to present themselves to work because of the symptoms of the virus that manifest, similarly to dengue fever but include distinct symptoms such as joint and muscles pains that can prove to be very debilitating.
Although the local Ministry of Health has been able to confirm a total of 81 cases, there have been many clinical cases seen on a daily basis at health facilities throughout the country.

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