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(Trinidad Express) An outbreak of dengue fever in a community in Barakpur has left one person dead and two people in critical condition in hospital.
At least 11 members of a family in Ramsubaga Terres have been infected with dengue haemorrhagic fever and relatives fear the situation may get worse.
Speaking to The Indian Express at his home in Barakpur’s Ramsubhag Terres yesterday, Mahindra Mahadeo, 63, said several relatives in the area had contracted dengue, while his elder brother Sieunarine Mahadeo, 65, succumbed to the disease last Tuesday.
Mahadeo is said to be one of two dengue deaths previously confirmed by the Trinidad Ministry of Health.
The other is a teenager from Fizabad.
“This is the first time our family has been infected with dengue. Everyone living in the neighbourhood has been infected with dengue. About 11 people in the family have been infected with the virus. My elder brother died last Tuesday due to brain hemorrhage caused by dengue,” he said.
He said his family now fears more relatives will succumb to the disease, especially since two other relatives were recently admitted to the San Fernando General Hospital.
Mahadeo said that according to the information he received yesterday, a middle-aged woman and a boy were in critical condition.
He added that while relatives kept the surroundings clean, a nearby lagoon provided a breeding ground for mosquitoes and he feared the infestation would persist as long as the waterway remained clogged.
Responding to calls for stricter measures after Mahadeo’s death, Penar/Debe District Corporation (PDRC) chairman Gowtam Maharaj said they have been taking precautionary measures for weeks.
“PDRC is actively carrying out dynamic spray fire suppression and treated the Ramsubagh trail two weeks before Mahadeo’s death. Currently, PDRC is clearing drainage systems in the area,” he said yesterday.
He added that “equal efforts” were needed from trained staff of the Ministry of Health’s Insect Vector Control Department (IVCD) to tackle the problem.
Maharaj said that although $21 million was approved in the state budget, the corporation has not received funds to undertake development infrastructure projects, which has hampered the construction and rehabilitation of bridges, culverts and drains.
Yesterday, as PDRC continued its dynamic fogging mosquito control exercise in Debay, The Express spoke to residents of Mahad Outres who expressed concerns over the increase in mosquito population.
Maharaj said the dynamic spray disinfection work is carried out in the morning and evening, targeting 1,000 households every day.
Resident Rajesh Ramcharitar pointed out that mosquitoes are more “ferocious” this season.
“The sting feels completely different. You can’t even see them coming. You just feel them biting. They are now often seen during the day,” he said.
To control pests, he said he sprays the surrounding area twice a week.
“There have been a lot of mosquitoes in the past month. You have to do your own thing. We try to control it as best we can. We always use malathion,” he added.
He mentioned that while people are worried about Aedes aegypti during the rainy season due to improper water flow in the southern region, mosquitoes are rampant even outside the rainy season.
Another resident, Deoballie Lall, said the presence of mosquitoes was uncommon.
“Imagine, they say mosquitoes do come out at night, but in the broad daylight, we have a mosquito problem. There are real mosquitoes here. There are definitely mosquitoes out here,” he said.
As of June, the Ministry of Health has confirmed 190 cases of dengue fever.
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