Jamaica has declared a dengue outbreak.
On Saturday, health officials said that the island had surpassed the dengue epidemic threshold for July and August and is on a trajectory to do the same for September.
A statement from the Ministry of Health and Wellness said this means that the country has seen an increase in the number of cases compared to what is normally seen during these months of the year.
However, there are no dengue-related deaths classified at this time, but six deaths are being investigated, the ministry said.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease and the ministry said that as of Friday, September 23, Jamaica had recorded 565 suspected, presumed and confirmed cases of dengue, with 78 cases being confirmed.
It said the majority of the cases were in Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine and St Thomas.
Dengue symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rash. In a small number of cases, the potentially deadly dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) may develop, resulting in internal bleeding, enlargement of the liver, and high fever.
Jamaica last had a dengue outbreak in 2019.
