Countries in the region are being warned by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), that mosquito borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika are still circulating in the Caribbean.
CARPHA said that it wanted to emphasise the importance of prevention and control measures to reduce the transmission of these viruses and that the agency remains committed to strengthening public health systems for early detection and response to the emergence, re-emergence, and spread of these infections.
CARPHA’s executive director, Dr Joy St John said the agency’s Medical Microbiology Laboratory has the capacity and remains ready to test and provide diagnostic confirmation of suspected cases in the region.
Dr. St. John said that Member States must maintain a strategic approach to surveillance and sample collection and submission to increase the chances of early identification of infections.
