Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

BVI experiencing increase in Dengue Fever, cases almost tripled since last year

BVI experiencing increase in Dengue Fever, cases almost tripled since last year

The British Virgin Islands is experiencing a spike in the number of reported cases of Dengue Fever, with numbers tripling since last year. Chief Medical Officer Dr Irad Potter told BVI News 106 more cases have been reported when compared to the corresponding period last year.

“In 2018, we had about 60 cases being reported to the Ministry of Health from the period of January 1 to August 31. This year, so far, from January 1 up until August 31, we’ve had 166 cases of suspected and confirmed cases,” Dr Potter stated.

Despite the alarming number, Dr Potter said none of the cases have been severe. He also said most of the persons infected with the virus have already been treated.

Mosquito population increases during rainy season

He further told our news centre it is not uncommon to see more cases of dengue during this time of year.

“What normally happens when we have the rainy season beginning is that you get the increase in the population of mosquitoes and we tend to get increasing incidents of dengue as well. We (the BVI) have the vectors that transmit dengue — the Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus,” the physician explained.

What are officials doing?


He also said the Health Ministry is already taking steps to prevent the virus from spreading further.

“When we begin to get increasing cases, we go back to surveillance and we try to determine which communities are having issues with the disease. Then based on that, we would go and do surveillance on the properties where the people live and get them to reduce any breeding on their premises and if we are having a big problem, we would get to do some fogging to kill the other mosquitoes,” Dr Potter said.

Take precautions


In the meantime, residents are being reminded to take the necessary precautions to help reduce the chances of the virus being transmitted.

These include inspecting premises to ensure no mosquito breeding sites are present, removing and treating any breeding sites found upon inspection, and using mosquito repellant to minimize chances of being bitten by the insect.

What is Dengue?


Dengue is an infection caused by a virus spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. There are four dengue viruses called Dengue Type One, Two, Three, and Four. You can only be infected by each “type” once in your lifetime.

Symptoms


Symptoms usually identified with Dengue Fever include a sudden onset of fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle pains, bone or joint pain, skin rash, vomiting, or the ‘feeling to vomit’.

Persons with severe Dengue may have all the aforementioned symptoms in addition to severe belly pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding from the mouth, nose or other unusual places, bloody or black and sticky stool, feeling faint, low energy or restlessness, small bleeding spots under the skin, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×