Government Epidemiologist Harmony Brewley said in some of the Dengue cases, persons are reluctant to visit the hospital as a result of having had the virus before, and hence, believing that they have some type of immunity against the illness. Photo: VINO/File

Chief Environmental Officer, Mr Lionel E. Michael along with Government Epidemiologist Harmony Brewley, has warned that the territory continues to see an increase in cases of dengue fever. Photo: Facebook

Like its cousins, Chikungunya and Zika, the dengue virus spreads through mosquito bites when a mosquito, usually of the female Aedes species, bites an infected human. Photo: Internet Source

Persons reluctant to visit the doctor

“Right now we have actually been seeing an increase in dengue, at least in the reported cases. We do know that there are persons out there with dengue who have not gone to see the doctor’, she said, due to fears of them having symptoms and not wanting to visit the hospital.

Ms Brewley was at the time speaking at the December 5, 2019, edition of 'Umoja' with host Cromwell Smith aka 'Edju En Ka', where she further said that in some of the cases persons are reluctant to visit the hospital as a result of having had the virus before, and hence, believing that they have some type of immunity against the illness.

Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include sudden high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and skin rash which appears two to five days after the onset of fever.

Virus immunity is not lifelong 

“Persons have this misconception that because I have had dengue once, that nothing else can come… you can get it again and it can be more severe,” she said.

According to Ms Brewley, patients do not build up a lifelong immunity to dengue. She underscored that they are four different strains of the virus, hence, contracting the virus again and again increases the risk of getting more severe dengue fever, which can lead to eventual death.

“This is why we need people to be very very careful, and alert and pay more attention to the messages that we are putting out regarding protecting yourself against mosquito bites,” she said.

Humans infect the mosquitoes 

Like its 'cousins', Chikungunya and Zika, the dengue virus spreads through mosquito bites when a mosquito, usually of the female Aedes species, bites an infected human.

This mosquito then becomes infected with dengue fever and mosquitoes are only carriers of the disease, it does not affect them as it does humans. “We are really trying to protect the health of the community because currently in the region, there is an increase in cases across the Caribbean region,” Ms Brewley further said.

Chief Environmental Officer, Mr Lionel E. Michael encouraged the use of mosquito repellents, long sleeve clothing and community clean-up campaigns which can help control the mosquito population.