hazardnc

Reading Frommmers, it says dengue fever has returned to Vieques and Culebra. A friend from Ecuador won't take her daughter to visit the family b/c of dengue in that country.

How bad is it and how do you avoid it?

JeanH

You avoid it by avoiding being bitten by mosquitos. Long sleeves, long pants, lots of DEET.

If you live there, you do your part by getting rid of any standing fresh water on your property.

No vaccine, no treatment, other than comfort measures. A co-worker of mine and his wife were infected in the Phillipines last summer. Took a long time for him to get back to normal.

JAGIRL

There seems to be an outbreak across the caribbean right now from Jamaica all the way to Trinidad & Tobago.

Right now Jamaica is trying to keep it under control as we have had a couple deaths from the dengue haemorrhagic fever.

As JeanH said, avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes and you'll avoid dengue.

In addition to what she said, I would add mosquito nets over beds at nights.

hazardnc

Ugh - I asked this because mosquitoes love me. I have to drench myself in DEET to keep them off. I was thinking of going to the Caymans, but I recalled how bad the mosquitoes were there. At sunset, you'd better be indoors!

Barbara1

The dengue mosquito is one that bites in the day only.
yes, there is an outbreak of dengue throughout the entire Caribbean.
Check out this blog for a lot of information on the situation.

http://www.livejournal.com/stc/fck/editor/fckblank.html

Barbara1

I'm sorry. I posted the wrong link.
try this one

http://woodshedenvironment.wordpress.com/

mahobaygirl

My husband contacted it (we beleive, never really diagnosed but had all the symptoms)last year while here for the winter. But he works in the woods and grassy areas. Also, our neighbors had standing water in their yard... I really beleive that that was how he got it. He was down and out for 10 days, barely able to get OOB, and he is a workaholic...however, have only heard of a few cases over the past couple of years.