Barbadians are being urged to seek medical attention rather than take medication if they notice any signs of dengue fever infection.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Joy St John said the public needed to be aware of the signs and symptoms associated with the condition and to avoid using medication to prevent the possibility of having complications.
“We need to be aware of the illness and its symptoms and signs . . . . If a child, or someone compromised by another chronic disease, or someone who had dengue fever before is having symptoms such as bleeding gums, or nose bleed, they should seek attention immediately,” she said.
Additionally, St John stressed the need for extra caution on the part of individuals who had more than one infection of dengue fever as they were more likely to get haemorrhagic fever.
She also disclosed that the authorities had been able to secure medication needed to treat infected persons.
St John said that based on statistical examination of the trends over the years, and a close examination of the previous two years, the country was currently experiencing an epidemic.
Barbados recently recorded its second death from dengue haemorrhagic fever.
According to officials of the Ministry of Health, the death of the young adult male occurred last Wednesday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was confirmed by laboratory testing last Tuesday. Barbados has recorded 147 confirmed cases of dengue fever so far this year. (LK)
