24 Chikungunya Virus Cases - Ministry of Health PR Game as Mr. Baugh states Chikungunya Virus Cases underreported

“This is a very serious situation and even with health practitioners warning of the impending increase in the rates of infection, there is still a garbage problem in many areas of the country and many areas where mosquitoes can find fertile breeding grounds. We also need the citizens of Jamaica to take the cleanliness of their surrounding seriously and check to see that there are no mosquito breeding places in and around your home and community."

Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Kenneth Baugh concerned NSWMA and the Ministry of Health not taking Chikungunya Virus outbreak seriously

On Sunday August 31^st 2014 on the cusp of the New School Term starting on Monday September 1^st 2014, Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse, confirmed tests conducted by CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency) on four more people suspected of being infected with the disease.

We now have an official total of 24 persons infected with the Chikungunya Virus as stated in the article “Four Additional Cases Of Chikungunya Confirmed”, Published Sunday August 31, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner and “Three additional Chikungunya cases confirmed; total now at 24”, published Friday, September 05, 2014 9:47 PM, The Jamaica Observer.

I say official as for some time I’ve suspected that the infection rate might be higher. Again the same summary:

1.      2 imported cases

2.      1 case that's not quite defined i.e. the Post Graduate UWI Staffer

3.      21 local infections

However, something doesn’t appear to be right here. Given the conditions known to exist in Jamaica as it relates to our gullies and uncleaned drains, especially in Portmore, one would expect that the rates of infection would be much higher. Simply put, is the Ministry of Health telling the truth?

24 Chikungunya Virus Cases – The Numbers don’t add up given the 50 suspected cases

So too does Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Kenneth Baugh, who suspect that the official numbers of those being infected by the Chikungunya Virus may be a lot more as stated in “Chikungunya not being taken seriously by authorities, says Baugh”, Published Saturday September 6, 2014 5:01 pm, The Jamaica Gleaner and “Chikungunya cases being under reported, says Opposition Spokesman on Health”, published Saturday, September 06, 2014 | 4:44 PM, The Jamaica Observer.

Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Kenneth Baugh, who has complained that the NSWMA (National Solid Waste Management Authority) doesn’t appear to be taking any extra step to collect garbage as it's creating breeding sites for them, especially now that the Rains have begun to fall, quote: “Many more people are being afflicted by this illness and are not being recorded and these low numbers could lull people into false sense of security”.

The Ministry of Health doing clever PR (Public Relations) using Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse to hide the true extent of the spread.

This seems to be corroborated by JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) Caretaker for St Thomas Eastern, Delano Seiveright, who has been receiving reports from constituents in and around Nuts River, Morant Bay, Lyssons, Airy Castle, Port Morant, Duckenfield, Hampton Court and Bath claiming that they’re showing symptoms of the Chikungunya Virus as stated in the article “St Thomas overrun by Chikungunya  --  Seiveright”, published Sunday, September 07, 2014 12:42 PM, The Jamaica Observer.

Rightly so, MP for North East St Elizabeth Raymond Pryce has lashed out on the behalf of the PNP (People National Party) by accusing Delano Seiveright of inventing statistics as stated in the article “Pryce, Seiveright Clash Over Chikungunya Under Reporting Claims”, published Monday September 8, 2014 10:46 am, The Jamaica Gleaner. In so doing, he's pretty much the made the issue a political one.

I began to suspect that myself after it was made known that there were some 50 suspected cases yet only 17 confirmed since Wednesday August 17^th 2014 as stated in my blog article entitled “JA$12 million for Vector Control by Minister of Health - 50 Suspected Cases indicates Panic, not Chikungunya, is spreading”. So where are these 50 suspected Cases exactly, as the Ministry of Health isn’t forthcoming with the information.

The infected parishes officially are, AGAIN oddly:

1.      Kingston and St. Andrew

2.      St. Thomas

3.      St. Catherine

4.      St. Ann

No increase in the infected parishes still? Something isn’t right here folks!

Dr. Baugh suspects foul play – PR Mis-information as Chikungunya Virus underreported

This would logically imply that more suspected infected would exist, probably ballooning past 100 by now. But because the rate of testing is so slow, there is now way to keep track of them. Plus, official numbers reflect those positively confirmed with disease; the suspected cases are underreported as the Ministry of Health may be trying to avoid a mass Panic over this disease.

Ever since I’ve returned to Swallowfield near the National Stadium, I’ve noticed that the level of awareness of the disease among the residents of the community is very low, even though in Swallowfield, there is a Basic School within the community near to Bob Allen Drive that’s right beside a large Canal. I hardly see anyone rubbing on DEET or even wearing long-sleeved clothing on their children, as they still are allowed to play outside, be it at day or night.

Truth be told, there is no such thing a day or night biting mosquito; the Aedes aegypti mosquito bites to get blood, be it day or night, to reproduce and have young. All mosquito bites must become suspect, especially among the elderly and the children, who tend to be indifferent about being bitten by insects.

Also the Ministry of Health isn’t clear on whether or now the Chikungunya Virus can be spread by other mosquitoes, such as the anopheles Mosquito, as it strikes me as might odd that if a mosquito can bite and withdraw blood with each bite, thereby carrying your blood in their gut and proboscis when they bite someone else as they all do, what’s to stop them from being vectors for this disease as well?

Portmore under siege – Uncleaned Canals allows Aedes aegypti mosquito multiplies unchecked

Apparently the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education didn’t see it fit to do anything about the canal behind this particular school as they’ve been doing elsewhere as noted in my blog article entitled “Education and Health Ministries Meet before 2014-15 Academic Year - How to Stop Chikungunya Virus spread by Aedes aegypti Mosquito among Children”.

I’m getting the eerie feeling that no drain cleaning and no mass spraying using Malathion is being done as I’d suspected the JA$12 million for the Ministry of Health was allocated to do as stated in my blog article entitled “JA$12 million for Vector Control by Minister of Health - 50 Suspected Cases indicates Panic, not Chikungunya, is spreading”.

Especially in places like Portmore where the Aedes aegypti mosquito population has endless Canals of stagnant water to breed and no Western Mosquito Fish (Gambusia affinis) commonly called “Tiki-Tiki” Fish to eat their larvae as I’d mentioned in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Health attempted murder of Ocho Rios High School in St Ann by spraying Malathion - Malathion Spraying and Destroyers ban needed  and Citronella Candles and Education introduced”.

Chikungunya Virus numbers – More like 200 infected, not 25 due to inter-Regional Travel

My estimates is that the true figures as it relates to the infected are more in line with those in Trinidad and Tobago, which had surpassed 80 since Friday August 15^th 2014 as stated in “As many as 80 infected with Chikungunya -- TT health minister”, published Friday, August 15, 2014 7:32 AM, The Jamaica Observer.

It was around that time that we had just reached 10 infected with the Chikungunya Virus as stated in my blog article entitled “10 Cases of Chikungunya Virus in Jamaica – How a Hurricane coming December 2014 will accelerate its spread”.

Many Jamaicans travel in and out, often going to Florida and to the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean. They may have brought back the infection long before the Ministry of Health had begun their surveillance for the disease as reported originally in my blog article entitled “Chikungunya Virus now confirmed in Jamaica - Female Traveller From Florida via Puerto Rico and How to fight Chic-V”,

Especially as no active questioning and quarantining of Travelers isn’t being done at the Airports of countries in the CARICOM region as I’d recommended in my blog article entitled “Trinidad PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar's CARICOM Meeting - Preventing Caribbean Chikungunya Virus and Ebola Virus Epidemic by Christmas 2014”.

Also, despite the danger to children, the Ministry of Health hasn’t begun the sale of subsidized DEET or Citronella Oil to parents or Primary and High Schools in a bid to give them some protection against the Aedes aegypti mosquito as originally pointed out in my blog article entitled “Education and Health Ministries Meet before 2014-15 Academic Year - How to Stop Chikungunya Virus spread by Aedes aegypti Mosquito among Children”.

Ministry of Health PR Game – Poor People Disease cannot be allowed to stop Tourism Dollar

I’m getting the impression that they’re seeing this disease that affects the poor and impoverished who live in a state of squalor and degradation. As such, blocked drains and gullies, which are the result of Jamaicans throwing garbage away that washes into the drains and gullies, is what causes the blockage of these gullies and drains.

Possibly in the eyes of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Local Government, this is the fault of the people and not their inadequate garbage collection efforts, which our Tax-dollars help to fund. Hence the stagnant water in these drains and gullies that causing the Aedes aegypti mosquito to breed unchecked are a fault of the people.

Since they have their tourist dollar to protect, they’re not so eager to report the true extent of the spread of the Chikungunya Virus, as already Canada has issued a travel advisory against Jamaica since Monday August 18^th 2014 as stated in as stated in “Canada issues Chikungunya warning to travellers”, published Monday, August 18, 2014 9:48 AM, The Jamaica Observer.

With the Winter tourist season coming up, this PR stunt by the Ministry of Health in brushing the real numbers of the poor and impoverished infected with the Chikungunya Virus may just be to protect their Tourist Dollars and prevent any more countries issuing Travel advisories against Jamaica.

Based on the reasoning of Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Kenneth Baugh observation of the GOJ’s response to the Epidemic thus far, this may really be the case. The Ebola Virus, therefore, should have no problem coming to Jamaica as I’d predicted in my blog article entitled “WHO confirms Ebola Virus outbreak in DRC different from West Africa - Ebola Virus Brothers from the same Zaire Strain Mother”.

As with such limited surveillance and control over Haitians coming into Jamaica, Africans coming here unchecked from infected West African countries isn’t such a hard thing to imagine give a GOJ that care not for the plight of the poor and impoverished.