Roseau, Dominica (TDN) -- Health authorities in Dominica are urging nationals to take added measures to prevent the spread of the chikungunya disease on the island as the number of reported cases rise.
Chief Medical Officer Dr David Johnson said that the ministry of health could confirm 81 cases of the disease but that more than 550 suspected cases were also being dealt with.
"So far we have confirmed 81 cases and the confirmation I refer to is laboratory confirmation, but these are not all the persons who have the disease. There are a lot more persons who are presented with the disease.
The chikungunya virus had previously been reported in Asia, the Indian Ocean and Africa, and in December 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported local transmission for the first time in the Americas on the island of St Martin. It has since spread to the other islands.
Chikungunya is an illness caused by a virus that spreads through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. The mosquito that carries chikungunya virus can bite during the day and night, both indoors and outdoors, and often lives around buildings in urban areas.
The Atlanta based Centers for Disease Control has reported that there is currently no vaccine or medicine to prevent chikungunya. Meanwhile health authorities are urging travelers to the affected areas to protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites.