Chikungunya cases near 500, Dominica reports first case

The number of confirmed and probable chikungunya cases has grown to 490 in the Caribbean, according to the CIRE (CIRE) Antilles Guyane report Friday (computer translated).

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Image/CDC

To date, the island of Saint Martin, where it all began, has recorded 294 probable and confirmed cases.

Since the beginning of the epidemic , 11 cases of laboratory confirmed or probable were hospitalized , including three children . Five cases have been classified : three as non-severe and two as severe. One of the patients classified as severe died . This death is considered indirectly related to chikungunya mainly because of existing co -morbidities .

Saint Barthelemy  is reporting 81 suspected cases and 31 confirmed.

The island of Martinique has recorded 127 probable and confirmed cases. In Guadeloupe, there has been a total of 27 confirmed or probable cases of chikungunya (2 of which imported from Saint Martin ) .

In addition, the island of Dominica has reported it’s first case of the chikungunya virus, according to a Jamaica Observer report Friday.

We can confirm that we have the first local case of chikungunya in Dominica,(but) there is no need for any alarm at this time,” said Chief Medical Officer of Dominica Dr David Johnson, adding that it was ”very importantly for us we want to establish if there are any other cases in Dominica”.

CARPHA executive director Dr James Hospedales told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) “the Caribbean is at risk, exactly what will happen in the weeks and months ahead we don’t know because it has not been here before but we are at risk”.

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