Chikungunya Update - A New Wave: December 19, 2014

[T3]

During the weeks from November 17 through December 14, weekly cases of chikungunya on the island reached a peak that was comparable to the highest number seen in February (76 cases versus 82 at the peak in February). There has been a decline since the week of November 17-23 when 76 cases were reported. During the most recent week with numbers available (December 8-14), 45 cases were reported.

"Le comité d’experts" that met on December 11 considers that the current situation represents a new epidemic wave, the extent of which will need to be determined in coming weeks. This prompted strengthening of mosquito control methods as detailed in the press release contained in another thread.




(The low numbers of cases for week 42 to 44 is considered to reflect disruption of medical activity/reporting related to Hurricane Gonzalo rather than a true decrease in cases)
Le comité d’experts,

 

[tim]

Thanks for keeping us up to date. Amazon just delivered my supply of Deet and more Deet. We'll have to check a bag to SBH, but that's okay.

 

[Bart -my real name-]

Tim - we transfered our DEET into 3oz / TSA-legal pump spray bottles. They sell them at Target and probably everywhere else. They worked great and we still brought some home

 

[tim]

Excellent suggestion!

 

[didier]

actually phil & amy were here for a whole month, and I have not heard if either of them have the virus, I am sure if they had gotten it, they would have said something. so you should be ok tim with lots of deet.

 

[Bart -my real name-]

Both my wife and I were each bitten a couple of times despite being very digilant on the DEET applications and mosquito warfare. Neither one of us have any symptoms (touch wood*) and I think we're okay since I've only read about "sudden onset" of the symptoms.

* the Scottish version of knock on wood that I picked up from one of my, ahem, on-island girlfriends.

 

[didier]

it takes 3 to 7 days with also a range up to 12 days for symptoms to appear after bitten by a mosquito with the virus. so you may be ok bart.

 

[Bart -my real name-]

Thanks Diana. We're outside the 7 day window for bites, but are probably still inside the 12 day window. Yikes!


What I've wondered is, is there a certain number of bites you need to have before you're infected? Obviously, you're not going to get infected if you get 100 bites from mosquitos who don't carry the disease, how many bites do you need from an infected mosquito? Is one enough? Or do you need, say, 10 bites to transfer enough virus into the body to have it take hold.

I don't know that anyone knows the answers to those quesitons, but after I got bit, I was certainly thinking about them!

 

[stbartshopper]

Darn,
Since we had not seen much about Chikungunya for a while on the Forum, we were thinking maybe that the problem had been declining. Obviously that is not the case.

 

[amyb]

Phil and I are fine. We use the Mosquito Milk roll on product sold at pharmacies and Black Swan

 

[Maureenm]

Sorry to learn that chikungunya is on the rise again. Our granddaughter Amanda who got it when she was volunteering at a children's home in Haiti still has some symptoms and it has been months since the infection. Now she is going back again during the holidays and I pray that she does not get dengue.. you supposedly can't get chikungunya again. But her sister, our other granddaughter is going too and they have convinced their mother (my husband's daughter)to go as well. I have deet in 3 oz bottles left over from our St. Barth trip this year which I will give to them. I got them at EMS.. nice to have it in that size and they sell it all year round. Trouble with Haiti is that there is no infrastructure and therefore probably no diligent spraying like SBH. Please pray that they stay healthy while they are doing their good works.thx

 

[TJH]

Maureenm - I feel your worry. One of my daughters contacted chikungunya this summer while working in the DR and much like your granddaughter, still experiences symptoms from time to time. The previous summer she had dengue, which she says was so much worse. Her twin sister (oddly enough named Amanda!) will be spending next semester in the DR on a service learning program, and we just hope that she's extra careful after knowing her sister's experience. I hope your family stays healthy!

 

[Maureenm]

TJH- The DR is another bad spot as I'm sure you know.. at least with chikungunya once you have it that's it...best of luck to your daughters... while you hate to put a damper on their noble efforts and new learning experiences, you can't help but worry about these diseases that are so prevalent in the DR and Haiti...it's not stopping them so good for them.. I was worried about it in SBH but used deet religiously when I was there...