JAMAICA’s health system is currently tackling the H1N1 influenza virus, dengue, Zika virus (ZIKV), and, lest we forget, chikungunya (CHIKV).

Seems a little burdensome, right?

“Of the tests we have done, and it’s been quite a few, we have had one case CHIKV-positive, so it is still around; not in abundance, but we have had one,” Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Winston De La Haye disclosed while speaking to the

Jamaica Observer on Friday. “The real issues, or high-alert things, are dengue and the H1N1 (virus) at this time.

“…Because we are in the middle of Latin America and Central America with the ZIKV issue… we must continue to look out for those,” he continued.

But is the Ministry of Health in a position to efficiently handle all four issues at the same time?

“Well, we have to, and we have. Yes, it is additional work, additional resources for four things all at the same time. Nonetheless, that is the nature of public health,” the acting chief medical officer told

Your Health Your Wealth. “You have to be always prepared, and thus far we are managing.”

H1N1 Influenza virus

H1N1 influenza virus, which is also known as swine flu, was first reported in the island in February, and by the 15th the island had five confirmed cases. Up to Friday afternoon, that number had risen to 10, with two related deaths. Then yesterday, it was reported that a third person, who was being treated for the virus, had died.

The ministry is on high alert for the virus.

Tamiflu is used to treat swine flu and there have been talks of a shortage of the medication. However, Dr De La Haye said that is not the case.

“We, at this time, well, up to yesterday (Thursday), had sufficient Tamiflu to treat 150 patients — complete treatment,” he said. “But, in spite of that, we have ordered and are expecting a further 200 patient amounts, and by that we mean complete treatment for one person — a further 200 of those.”

Although the flu season in coming to an end, the acting chief medical officer said, based on the ministry’s findings, “We have to be prepared.”

“Despite the fact that some of these may have short expiry dates, it still doesn’t prevent us procuring more, just to be prepared,” he insisted, reiterating that so far, “we have had no patient needing Tamiflu who hasn’t been able to get it”.

Zika virus

Meanwhile, Jamaica has confirmed one Zika virus case. The Ministry of Health had reported that it received the positive result on January 29 from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), after having sent the sample to the Trinidad-based agency for testing on January 26.

The patient, who has now recovered, is a four-year-old child from Portmore, St Catherine. The child had begun showing symptoms on January 17 after earlier returning to Jamaica from Texas in the United States. When the case was confirmed, the ministry was trying to ascertain the source of infection.

Since there have been no additional Zika cases, is Jamaica in the clear?

“No, absolutely not,” Dr De La Haye said. “If you have one, then there is the likelihood that you have others.”

He said, too, that the case confirmed in January “is considered to be internally acquired, and hence the need to continue to do the sampling of all patients meeting the criteria…”

“We were querying whether or not it could’ve been acquired elsewhere, specifically in Texas, but the end result is that it appears that it must’ve been here. And so, as a result of that, we are listed as one of the countries affected in terms of travel advisory,” Dr De La Haye explained.

He shared that there has been a lag in terms of the number of Zika test results that have been returned from CARPHA, and that now that the virology lab at the University of the West Indies is ready, this issue should be rectified as Jamaica will be able to perform Zika virus testing locally.

“Thus far, the only certified lab we have had access to has been CARPHA in Trinidad, we have had a delay in terms of getting back results,” he said. “We are very happy to report that we got an e-mail that our virology lab at the University Hospital met all the requirements in terms of the testing.

”We just got back news from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)… and so we expect to start doing the ZIKV testing there as of the week of Monday. I can’t tell you specifically Monday, but certainly the week of Monday we will be able to,” Dr De La Haye said.

He said on Friday that the health ministry was awaiting more than 70 results which had been sent to CARPHA over weeks.

“We will now negate those kinds of things, to be able to do our testing and reports as we go along,” he said, adding that Jamaica would be able to have a two-day turnaround to get results.

The ministry’s message about preventing the spread of Zika virus and reducing the possible impact it might have on the population has been for people to search for and destroy mosquito-breeding sites, since the virus is transmitted by infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. However, there have been reports out of the United States of the virus being sexually transmitted.

Your Health Your Wealth sought to find out if the ministry would consider incorporating this in their prevention message.

“We certainly are interested in any research coming out. I mean, we have heard, like you, in terms of research of two cases. We are mindful, but that kind of research is still going on,” Dr De La Haye said.

“These are merely case reports, as opposed to larger studies and larger numbers, which doesn’t mean we are refuting, but we wait to see what the rest of the world would come with,” he continued.

He insisted that, at this time, the Ministry of Health would continue encouraging Jamaicans to destroy mosquito-breeding sites and remind them that the virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti vector.

Dengue

According to Dr De La Haye, the ministry is also on high alert for dengue.

“In getting back the ZIKV results, we recognised an increased number of dengue positives, and so, based on that, similarly for dengue, there is a high alert,” he told Your Health Your Wealth.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits chikungunya and ZIKV, also transmits dengue.

Dr De La Haye said the same prevention methods the ministry is encouraging for the Zika virus, will also work for dengue.