A Caymanian woman is suspected of contracting dengue fever after visiting the Bahamas.
Now Cayman is preparing to issue an advisory for travellers to the Bahamas, which is struggling with a dengue fever epidemic.
Cayman Islands Health Services Authority Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kiran Kumar said the Public Health Department would be warning people travelling to and from the island where about 1,000 cases have been reported since 1 August.
The alert comes as one patient in Cayman is suspected of contracting the disease while visiting the country earlier this month. If the case is confirmed, it will be first imported case of dengue reported this year in Cayman.
Eight other cases have been tested this year and all were found to be negative, Dr. Kumar said.
The private physician treating the woman is awaiting the result of laboratory tests, but the patient is “strongly suspected” to have contracted the illness, based on her travel history and her symptoms, Dr. Kumar said.
“Dengue is a reportable disease and when the public and private physicians suspect and test for dengue, they usually inform the Public Health Department. Oftentimes, the notification will also come from the laboratory as part of the surveillance protocol,” said Dr. Kumar.
The patient travelled to the Bahamas and six days after returning to Cayman fell ill.
