# 4931
Although Dengue fever cases have been increasing throughout the Caribbean (see Dengue: Puerto Rico & Beyond - Week 33), and even making inroads into the southernmost reaches of Florida, Dengue fever in the Bahamas has till now been an uncommon occurrence.
According to PAHO numbers released in August, through the 24th week of the year, the Bahamas had only reported 1 laboratory confirmed case of Dengue in 2010.
But two reports this morning suggest that Dengue may be suddenly on the rise in that island nation.
First, the Bahamas Press is reporting that there have been 16 recent cases of Dengue fever reported in the Capital, including a suspected fatal case this week – that of a 23 year-old woman, and mother of 3.
Officials have not, apparently confirmed this fatality.
One reported death as a result of Dengue Fever in the Bahamas
Posted by media on Sep 23, 2010
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Health has issued this advisory – carried by The Bahamas Weekly – on the recent spike in Dengue cases.
Public Advisory on Dengue Fever By Bahamas Department of Public Health and the Ministry of Health
Sep 23, 2010 - 5:31:46 PM
The Bahamas - There has been significant increase in dengue activity throughout the Caribbean region and the Region of the Americas with outbreaks reported from Barbados, Grenada, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and the French Territories.
The Department of Public Health has confirmed that there have been five laboratory confirmed cases to date and more than twenty persons have been investigated for dengue fever in The Bahamas. The Department is working closely with the Department of Environmental Health Services to prevent and control the spread of dengue fever, a viral infection which is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Symptoms of dengue fever include fever, muscle and joint pains, excessive tiredness, headache and pain behind the eyes. Nausea and vomiting may also occur. A more severe form of dengue fever, Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever, presents with episodes of bleeding.
There is no vaccine to prevent dengue fever and treatment is given to lessen the symptoms of the infection. The majority of persons recover within five to fourteen days.
The public is advised to seek medical attention at your nearest clinic if you experience any of these symptoms.
The Department of Public Health and the Ministry of Health wish to advise the public to:
(1) avoid mosquito bites by wearing protective clothing and applying insect repellent to exposed areas;
(2) use safe household insecticides indoors;
(3) where possible, have intact window and door screens; and
(4) remove all breeding sites that collect water, such as old tires, flower vases, planters and garbage.
While the number of cases don’t quite match up between these stories, the underlying message is that Dengue does appear to be increasing in Nassau, and around the Bahamas.
Of course, you don’t have to travel to the Bahamas, or Puerto Rico, or South Florida to be exposed to mosquito borne illnesses.
West Nile virus (WNV), La Crosse virus (LACV), and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) (among others) also circulate at very low levels in the United States, as well as many other countries around the world.
The odds of contracting any of these viruses are actually pretty low. But they are not zero.
So it makes sense to take reasonable precautions whenever you are around mosquitoes.
