[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Ministry of Health has disclosed that there are 12 more confirmed cases of the mosquito- borne disease, chikungunya.
According to he Government Information Agency (GINA), some results from samples sent recently for testing at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago were received today, and Dr. Morris Edwards, epidemiologist is analysing the data.
Prior to the new cases, there were 19 confirmed cases, all from the Canje, Berbice area, Region Six. Chikungunya is an arthropod-borne virus that is transmitted to humans by the Aedes Egypti mosquito.
While Guyana has the facility in the form of the National Public Health Reference Laboratory which is equipped, it doesn’t have staff trained to conduct tests for chikungunya, hence the samples have to be sent to Trinidad and Tobago for testing.
It was noted that the Health Ministry has secured training for a National Public Health Laboratory biomedical technologist in Atlanta, USA. That person will among other things, be trained in laboratory diagnostics for chikungunya.
Guyana recorded it first cases in late May, a toddler and a woman in her forties, both from the Canje area. Immediately, the Ministry’s vector control services went into action, conducting extensive fogging of the area.
[Extracted and modified from GINA]
