Guyana to begin testing for Chikungunya virus

MosquitoGeorgetown: Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran on Monday disclosed that there has been no other confirmed case of the Chikungunya virus in the country, pointing out that the number of persons infected remains at 19.

Dr Ramsaran stated that the Ministry has sent just over 150 blood samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CPHA) and will soon receive the results.

The Minister attributed the freeze in infection to the extensive preventative measures being implemented by his Ministry across the country, while noting that contrary to reports in some sections of the media, the virus has been confined only to Berbice.

“The disease has been confined to restricted areas in Berbice, namely Canje, Cumberland, Canefield, Port Mourant and New Amsterdam. We have concluded the first phase of our fogging exercise, but the second phase will soon begin and in Georgetown, we have already carried out some fogging exercises while the Ministry of Local Government had undertaken the task of cleaning up the city to avoid having breeding grounds for the mosquitoes,” he related.

Dr Ramsaran noted too that the Ministry is pushing to have residual spraying become an extensive exercise since it is not only more effective, but more suited for the current weather pattern.

“With the current weather patterns, the fog will be washed away but with the residual spray, particularly indoors, it will remain, proving to be more effective, so we are looking at this,” the Minister said.

Meanwhile, the Minister also disclosed that the country will soon begin conducting its own tests for the Chikungunya virus since it has the laboratory (Public Health and Reference Laboratory), the necessary equipment, and testing kits, and is currently engaged in discussions to solicit the required training for the testing process.

“We can do the test right here in Guyana. We have the lab, we have the equipment, and the testing kits are in the country so what we need now is the necessary training. We have approached the Pan American Health Organisation to see if they can facilitate the training for us and the head of that organisation here in Guyana is currently pushing for it. So we are hoping that this process can soon begin,” Dr Ramsaran said.

The Health Minister noted too that Guyanese should be counting themselves lucky, as only 19 cases of the vector borne disease has been confirmed here while hundreds of cases are being reported in other Caribbean countries.

“This is because we didn’t wait until the disease came here. We began taking preventative methods like our fogging exercises since last year and that is why we have such a low number of cases while the other countries are reporting large numbers of cases.”