No need for dengue panic in T&T

PORT-OF-SPAIN – THREE people have died of dengue haemorrhagic fever, while tests are being conducted to determine if two others also died of the illness. In addition, there are 600 confirmed cases of dengue in Trinidad and Tobago, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Anton Cumberbatch, said Friday.Cumberbatch said these figures were from the public health sector, adding that there could be more cases as there were no reports from the private health institutions. He, however, insisted that there was no need for panic as the figures have not yet reached epidemic proportions.Cumberbatch was speaking at a dengue update Press conference with Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis and other public health sector officials at the Ministry of Health.With the rate of reported cases rising consistently over the past couple of weeks, Cumberbatch said the ministry had already “ramped up” the efforts to eradicate the aedes aegypti mosquito and with it the deadly dengue virus.“The public health sector is better equipped to deal with the disease at its various stages than the private sector,” he said.He added, “We have services not available in the private health sector. Very rarely do you see a report of a dengue death in the private sector, because they are always referred to us in the last stages of complications.”(Trinidad Express)