31 infected during Jamaican Chikungunya Virus Epidemic - 113 Deaths in the Caribbean as Jamaica grapples with Chikungunya Virus Outbreak

The Chikungunya Virus epidemic is slowly getting out of control, especially in St. Thomas and Portland as JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) Caretaker for St Thomas Eastern, Delano Seiveright has insisted all along. 

Meanwhile the Aedes aegypti Mosquito multiplies unchecked as the December 2014 hurricane draws near as I’ve predicted in my blog article entitled “ESA's Swarm Says the Earth's Magnetic Field is Weakening - How Weakening Magnetic Field results in hotter Summer Days and Hurricanes in Christmas 2014”!

The most recent tally from the Ministry of Health presented by Dermatologist and founder of Dermatology Solutions Skin Clinics & Medi-Spas, Dr Arusha Campbell-Chambers as of the Week ending September 13^th 2014 in the article “Ten facts about chik-V”, published Wednesday September 24, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner is also alarming:

1.      524 notifications of Chikungunya Virus

2.      251 were classified as suspected Chikungunya Virus cases

3.      194 suspected cases of Chikungunya Virus

4.      31 cases were laboratory confirmed the Chikungunya Virus

5.      26 were discarded due to negative laboratory results for the Chikungunya Virus

Explains his letter to The Jamaica Gleaner entitled “Chikungunya havoc in Jamaica”, published Sunday September 21st 2014 by Delano Seiveright, Guest Columnist, The Jamaica Gleaner. Good thing I’ve been rubbing up with DEET and Citronella Oil as well as I’m using my Mosquito Zapper since coming back to Kingston

The Chikungunya Virus was suspected to be the reason behind 30% of Yallahs Primary School in St Thomas, roughly 200 Students and 10 Teachers were not coming to school as stated in the article “Chikungunya suspected in Yallahs Primary's high absenteeism rate”, published Wednesday September 17, 2014 4:08, The Jamaica Gleaner and “More St Thomas students, teachers out with 'flu-like' symptoms”, published Thursday, September 18, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

Portland is also having similar problems, with schools having to send home students and teachers falling ill with flu-like symptoms and suffering from joint pains, high fever, and headache as stated in the article “Portland - Students, teachers hit hard, as trash piles up”, published Thursday September 18, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner. Those schools include:

1.      Bethesda Basic

2.      Boundbrook Primary

3.      Manchioneal All-Age

4.      Port Antonio High

Apparently that’s due to garbage being uncollected for days by the NSWMA (National Solid Waste Management Authority). This has effectively turned the communities of Stony Hill, Boundbrook, Breastworks and Anchovy into breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti Mosquito.

So JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) Caretaker for St Thomas Eastern, Delano Seiveright was right as I’d pointed out in my blog article entitled “24 Chikungunya Virus Cases - Ministry of Health PR Game as Mr. Baugh states Chikungunya Viruses Cases underreported”.

Good to see that the Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson personally toured the school himself, so he can’t claim to not know of the situation. Also it shows that plans made by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education as stated 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” aren’t working!

The Chikungunya Virus is officially reported to be active in the following infected parishes, which are YET AGAIN oddly:

1.      Kingston

2.      Portland

3.      St Andrew

4.      St Ann

5.      St Catherine

6.      St Mary

7.      St Thomas

Possibly because a lot of persons travel to and from Kingston, which is Ground Zero for the Chikungunya Virus as predicted in my blog article entitled “10 Cases of Chikungunya Virus in Jamaica – How a Hurricane coming December 2014 will accelerate its spread”.

So what about the other Parishes? The Jamaica Gleaner decided to find out!

Chikungunya Virus in Portmore – Jamaica Gleaner Journalists as Amateur Virologists

Chikungunya Virus is also running wild in Portmore.

A Private health centre in Portmore reported that since Wednesday September 17^th 2014, they’re slowly being overwhelmed with patients coming in with EXACT symptoms matching the Chikungunya Virus as stated in the article “Private clinic’s shocking ‘Chik-V’ reports”, published Wednesday, September 17, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

The affected communities from Portmore are:

1.   Cedar Grove

2.   Cumberland

3.   Gregory Park

4.   Independence City

5.   Waterford

6.   West Cumberland

For the record, those Dengue-like symptoms of the Chikungunya Virus are:

1.      Headache

2.      High fever

3.      Joint pain (like Jaundice or Rheumatic Fever)

4.      Muscle pain

5.      Rash (not very good, this one)

Armed with that information and possibly inspired by my blog articles based on Browsing Traffic coming their Servers making page impressions on my blog since September 16^th 2014, the Journalists at The Jamaica Gleaner have become Amateur Virologists overnight!

Apparently it must have dawned on them that a cover-up of some sort was afoot as they made the following reports from across the island:

1.      St. Elizabeth is ok as stated in the article “St. Elizabeth - No cases in St Bess”, Published Thursday September 18, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner

2.      Sr. Ann is ok as stated in the article “St Ann - Schools take steps to prevent outbreak”, Published Thursday September 18, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner

3.      Manchester is ok as stated in the article “Manchester - Schools prepared” Published Thursday September 18, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner

4.      Clarendon  is ok as stated in the article “Clarendon - Council fights chik-v vector”, Published Thursday September 18, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner

The reason for the suspicion by the Journalists at The Jamaica Gleaner?

The Meeting between Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson and JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Kenneth Baugh on Tuesday, September 9^th, 2014 as stated in the article “All hands needed on deck to arrest chik-v”, published Sunday September 14, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Apparently JLP Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Kenneth Baugh earlier claims of a Chikungunya Virus epidemic on Saturday September 6^th 2014 was the reason for that meeting as stated in my blog article entitled “24 Chikungunya Virus Cases - Ministry of Health PR Game as Mr. Baugh states Chikungunya Viruses Cases underreported”.

They didn’t want him or JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) Caretaker for St Thomas Eastern, Delano Seiveright rocking the Tourism Boat that would interfere with their IMF (International Monetary Fund) Money Train as pointed out in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Chikungunya Virus cover-up - JA$10,000 for Chikungunya Virus Test as Tropical Storm Edouard boost Aedes aegypti Mosquito”.

Not to mention the Christmas Gully and Drain Cleaning Boat for PNP (People’s National Party) Supporter’s Boat before the Local Elections in 2014 as well as a build-up to the General Elections in 2016.

JLP Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Kenneth Baugh reaction afterwards on Wednesday, September 10^th, 2014 as chronicled in the in the article “JLP insists Jamaica has a chikungunya epidemic”, published Wednesday, September 10, 2014 12:51 PM, The Jamaica Observer may have been what prompted The Jamaica Gleaner Journalists to dig deeper!

Chikungunya Virus in Kingston – Talk of the MICO University College as the illness spreads

As I’d expected, the Chikungunya Virus has been affecting children in Kingston.

Apparently they’re not decided it’s NOT fashionable to spray on their DEET or Citronella Oil as I have been suggesting 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”.

Now reports are circulating about overcrowding at the Bustamante Hospital for Children being overcrowded as parents, noting the symptoms in their children, are coming to the hospital in droves as stated in “Parents claim ... children sleeping on floor at hospital - Chik-V fear causes overcrowding”, published September 18, 2014 by Chad Bryan/Diandra Grandison, STAR Reporters, The Jamaica Star. 

Even as I attend the MICO University College, I continuously bump into students, both male and female in the day time, who claim to have contracted the disease and who are currently showing symptoms of the illness, including that annoying rash!

Even among them, I’m always wearing my Citronella Oil and DEET rubbed on before I go out as a precaution against being bitten by the day-biting Aedes aegypti Mosquito as explained in the article “Home-made mosquito repellents”, published Monday, September 22, 2014, The Jamaica Observer. Citronella Oil and DEET is now my official fragrance of choice and I’m currently looking for the Bath soap and body Wash to match!

In the evenings it’s no worse. When I come in to the MICO University College Campus for my classes for my Professional Diploma in Teaching, I also notice that many of my colleagues have gotten the disease as well. So I’m taking no chances!

I’ve already worked out a rudimentary treatment if not a cure based on observations of the Blake Family. Based on their recovery thus far, I’ve concluded that Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea) can help with alleviating the arthritic symptoms of the disease in my blog article entitled “Guinea Hen Weed Cures Arthritic Symptoms of  the Chikungunya Virus - Minister of Health International PR Cover-Up to protect Tourism Market”.

If I get ill, I know exactly what to do and where to get the ingredients to make my remedy.

I’ve also changed my diet as well in a bid to boost my immune System to fight the disease as per the advice of Registered dietitian/nutritionist Marsha N. Woolery, RD who happens to work  at the Fairview Medical and Dental Center, Montego Bay and lectures at Northern Caribbean University in the article “Eating healthy strengthens the body against Chikungunya”, published Wednesday September 24, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

So what of the rest of the Caribbean? Trust me folks, it’s frightening!

Chikungunya Virus Caribbean Epidemic – Same as Jamaica only people actually dying

Yes as the sub-heading rightly says, people are indeed dying from the Chikungunya Virus epidemic.

Statistics from PAHO (Pan-American Health Organization) confirming the same in statistics that have become available since Friday September 12 2014 as stated in the article “Caribbean chikungunya deaths hit 113”, published Saturday, September 20, 2014, The Trinidad Guardian:

1.      55 deaths were reported in Martinique since December 2013

2.      49 deaths were reported in Guadeloupe

3.      6 deaths were reported in Dominican Republic

4.      3 deaths were reported in St. Martin

CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency) also has the following Stats for the Caribbean Region since Monday September 8^th 2014 to PAHO:

1.      644,686 suspected of having the Chikungunya Virus

2.      9,640 confirmed Chikungunya Virus cases have been

The Chikungunya Virus isn't fatal.

But the resulting in a break down in the immuno-response and the Cytokine Storm that ensues is very deadly. That Cytokine Storm is similar to the body's response to the HIV (Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus), the causative agent behind AIDS (Acquired Immuno-deficiency Syndrome). This as the body is unable to fight the infection as it can't develop an antigen to the Chikungunya Virus Anti-bodies.

Thus the body's Immune System decided to throw every antigen it has at the virus, resulting in a Cytokine Storm in rare cases, causing a response of hemorrhaging and Liver and Kidney failure atypical of the Ebola Virus. Those excess antigens in the body make it difficult for the blood to coagulate, causing hemorrhaging of the internal organs.

Clearly the rest of the Caribbean isn't doing so well. The Brazilian Health Authority on Tuesday, September 16^th, 2014 confirmed their first case of local transmission of Chikungunya as stated in the article “First domestic case of Chikungunya in Brazil, says ministry”, published Tuesday, September 16, 2014 9:42 PM, The Jamaica Observer.

Again something I find hard to believe being that they're surrounded by the Amazon Rain Forest where it rains daily. Expect to start hearing rampant reports of the Chikungunya Virus spread as soon as their post-World Cup 2014 PR (Public Relations) Campaign starts to wear off!

In Trinidad and Tobago, they’ve shut down two schools, Newtown Boys’ and Girls’ RC Schools as reported in the article “Two schools shut down”, published Friday, September 19, 2014, The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper .

A dozen others were also closed down on Friday, September 19^th, 2014 by the Port-of-Spain City Corporation officials so that they could spray the schools with Malathion, the Mosquito fogging agent. The 700 Boys and 590 girls attending the Newtown Boys’ and Girls’ RC Schools were mostly from the Belmont and Maraval areas.

In Grenada they’ve gone to extremes with some 60% of the population affected by the Chikungunya Virus according to medical practitioner, Dr Francis Martin. Their Ministry of Health is now thinking to reintroduce the Mosquito Destruction Act of 1952 as reported in the article “ChikV scare forcing Grenada to fine residents for mosquito breeding sites”, published Friday, September 19, 2014 8:02 AM, The Jamaica Observer.

Chief Environmental Health Officer, Andre Worme, the MOH (Ministry of Health) in Grenada the Mosquito Destruction Act of 1952 has been imposed during times of extreme crisis related to infectious mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue Outbreaks.

Upon conviction in Court under the Mosquito Destruction Act of 1952, the guilty party is fined EC$250 if they are first time offenders with repeat offenders getting a fine of EC$500 for not keeping their properties and any containers of water on their properties free of Aedes aegypti Mosquito larva.

Folks, I'll be reporting on the Chikungunya Virus and I'll be especially vigilant, watching to see if and when it reaches Clarendon or any of the Parishes mentioned above. Until later, remember to spray on your DEET and Citronella Oil and keep your Mosquito Zapper ready!