The Ministry of Health and Wellness is advising Jamaicans to remain vigilant in the wake of an increase in Dengue cases.
Data from the Ministry’s Surveillance Unit shows a 13% increase in cases of the mosquito-borne disease since the start of the year.
The figure, it notes, is above those reported in the 2021 and 2022 epidemiological year.
While the increase in Dengue activity is observed, Jamaica is not currently experiencing an outbreak.
At the same time, the Ministry says that it has identified with support from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), nine cases of Type 2 Dengue virus in four parishes — Kingston and St. Andrew; St Thomas; St. Catherine and Westmoreland.
The presence of the Type 2 virus, cases of which have not been seen in the population since 2010, heightens the island’s risk for a possible outbreak.
