The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory has reported an increase in positive samples for dengue fever in Barbados.

As a result, health officials are urging Barbadians to take precautions to avoid
contracting the virus which is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. The laboratory
indicated that five positive cases of dengue – three cases of Type 2 and two cases of
Type 3 were recorded in August, 2023.

Additionally, four positive cases of the virus – two cases each of Type 2 and Type 3 – were recorded, so far, for September.

This profile is somewhat different from earlier this year, when Types 1 and 3 were the main strains circulating. However, the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory reported that these results were in keeping with the strains that are currently circulating in the Americas.

In light of the increase in cases, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. The Most Honourable Kenneth George, encourages members of the public to report mosquito sightings to the Environmental Health Departments at the polyclinics nearest to them.

“Once those reports are received, the environmental health officers will go out to
those districts and carry out investigations,” he stated. The Ministry currently conducts
fogging in “problem areas” where it receives several reports about mosquito breeding.
Mosquito nets should also be used over infant beds, carriers, cribs and strollers;
and window and door screens should be installed to keep out mosquitoes.

The Ministry encourages health providers to send samples from persons suspected of having dengue to the public health lab for definitive diagnosis and typing of the specific dengue strains.