Dengue Update as of 8 November 2019

·         Since the last update on November 4, 2019, 25 additional results have been received from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) confirming seven new cases of dengue in the Cayman Islands.

·         Of these seven new cases, two patients had travelled to a country with year-round transmission of dengue, while five had no travel history, which suggests that person acquired dengue within the Cayman Islands.

·         This brings the total number of confirmed dengue results (since the first locally transmitted case in October 2019), to nine locally transmitted and six imported cases.

·         To date confirmed cases have been distributed between East End, George Town, West Bay and Bodden Town.

·         Since the start of the year the Cayman Islands has sent a total of 116 samples to CARPHA to be investigated for dengue.

·         Of that number, 28 persons were admitted to the Cayman Islands Hospital and Health City, Cayman Islands showing clinical symptoms that might potentially be dengue.

The Public Health Department’s Surveillance Unit continues to deploy systematic and enhanced surveillance measures, working closely with government and private sector physicians to review reports of suspected dengue.

For more information, contact the Public Health Department on 244-2648. For advice on mosquito control, contact MRCU on 949-2557 in Grand Cayman, or 948-2223 on Cayman Brac; and Department of Environmental Health on 949-6696 in Grand Cayman, or 948-2321 in Cayman Brac.