WILLEMSTAD.- The Ministry of Health reports that Dengue cases are worrying. Since the end of last year, blood-transmitted diseases have been under increased surveillance, as an alarming situation with Dengue cases is occurring in the Caribbean, Central, and South America region. For a few weeks, the Epidemiology Department has noticed a slight increase in Dengue cases.
Due to the observation of a more substantial increase, the Technical Hygiene Affairs Department (THZ) has activated expanded control measures focusing on eradicating the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the vector for Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika. It is important to note that mosquito breeding site inspections are ongoing throughout the year, where our team visits, among other places, homes, nurseries, waste-accumulating businesses, houses with pools, and more. During a Dengue outbreak, efforts also concentrate on identifying potential cases in specific areas. During inspections, the team identifies mosquito breeding sites and raises awareness among residents to eliminate them.
GMN requests the cooperation of the Curaçao community to continue these efforts. Additionally, collaboration has begun with the Curaçao Tourism Authority (CTB) and the tourism sector to inform tourists about preventing mosquito bites, as well as educating and monitoring hotels and other lodging establishments. In close cooperation with the CMC, GMN receives information on hospitalized Dengue cases. From a preliminary analysis, it can be concluded that there were 73 hospitalized patients related to Dengue. One-third of them are children and young people under 20 years old; 20% are adults over 64 years old. Also, according to CMC reports, Dengue has caused 3 deaths. The individuals were between 20 and 40 years old.
According to the latest CMC report, there are still two hospitalized persons. GMN wants to emphasize that the mosquito issue and mosquito-borne diseases are everyone’s concern. Without the collaboration of the entire population, mosquitoes cannot be controlled or eliminated in Curaçao. Everyone is urged to inspect their surroundings and clean the streets to prevent water accumulation where mosquitoes can breed. Any container that can hold water is a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes to lay eggs. We all must try to clean our environment and thus reduce the mosquito population.
