(Jamaica Gleaner) With some 565 suspected, presumed and confirmed cases as of Friday, the Ministry of Health and Wellness on Saturday declared an outbreak of dengue in Jamaica.

The outbreak comes as the ministry’s National Surveillance Unit advised that Jamaica has surpassed the dengue epidemic threshold for July and August and is on a trajectory to do the same for the month of September. This means, the country has seen an increase in the number of cases compared to what is normally seen during these months of the year.

So far there have been 78 confirmed cases, with the majority in Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine and St Thomas.

The dominant strain is Dengue Type 2, which last predominated in 2010.

There are no denguerelated deaths classified at this time; however, six deaths are being investigated, the health ministry said.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that is usually a mild illness in which a person may get a fever, headache, joint, and muscle pains. It is usually treated with acetaminophen/paracetamol for the fever, with rest and proper hydration recommended. Persons presenting with worsening symptoms are advised to seek immediate medical attention.

According to the health ministry, persons are not to use aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, or any of the medications/pain relievers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs, when used to treat the fever in dengue, have been known to increase the severity of the disease.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie is cautioning that “on occasions the illness can progress to severe dengue, which can result in organ failure as well as bleeding (haemorrhage), and severe fluid depletion that can lead to shock and death”.

“Persons experiencing fever, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, bleeding under the skin (petechial rash), feeling very weak, or getting confused, are to seek immediate medical attention,” Bisasor McKenzie noted.

In an attempt to mitigate the impact, the health ministry said it has deployed approximately 500 temporary vector control workers across the island to highrisk communities, along with 213 permanent workers. An additional 600 temporary workers will now be engaged to increase the search and destroy of mosquito breeding sites as well as health education activities.