KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – The Ministry of Health is urging residents of and visitors to St. Vincent and the Grenadines to protect themselves from infectious diseases such as COVID-19, dengue fever, leptospirosis, and influenza viruses including influenza a – H1NI also known as the swine flu.
On Thursday, the ministry said there was a notable increase in influenza A – H1NI cases between Dec. 25, 2023, and Jan. 6, 2024.
During that period, there were 32 laboratory-confirmed cases.
As of Jan. 6, 9,804 confirmed cases of SARS-COV2 in SVG have been confirmed since the outbreak in 2021.
Of that total, 243 cases were confirmed in 2023, with two reported in 2024.
“Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are highly contagious viral infections of the respiratory tract that can cause severe illness with life-threatening complications, typically affecting people of all ages and can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes,” the ministry said.
The symptoms include high fever (38°C or more), dry cough, sore throat, body aches and fatigue.
Meanwhile, the ministry said that in 2023, the country recorded 17 dengue fever and 20 cases of leptospirosis.
“These vector-borne diseases did not exceed the normal levels and do not constitute an outbreak,” the ministry said.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness caused by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Persons are encouraged to seek early care from their health care providers if they are experiencing fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, or aches and pains (eye pain, typically behind the eyes, muscle, joint, or bone pain).
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals, spread through contaminated fluids from rodents such as rats and mongooses.
Symptoms associated with leptospirosis include high fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rash. Some infected persons, however, may have no symptoms at all.
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