KRALENDIJK – In the week from January 22 to 30 of this year, there have been 12 confirmed cases of dengue, as reported by the Public Health Department. Since January 1, 2024, until the end of last week, a total of 18 cases of dengue have been identified on Bonaire.

The number of people with symptoms resembling dengue has slightly increased among general practitioners. This was expected because there has been a lot of rain lately, and the dengue mosquito lays eggs in stagnant water.

The Public Health Department urges everyone to prevent the further spread of dengue. This can be done, for example, by emptying all objects containing stagnant water. It is also important for people to ensure that the dengue mosquito does not have the opportunity to bite them, for example, by applying insect repellent containing DEET.

Symptoms

Most people who contract dengue have no or almost no symptoms. A small percentage of people with dengue do experience symptoms, including pain behind the eyes, headache, high fever, joint and muscle pain, and skin rash. Symptoms usually resolve on their own after 1 or 2 weeks. The likelihood of severe symptoms with dengue is very small.

Recommendations

The advice is to drink enough water when experiencing symptoms. In the case of fever, the person can use only paracetamol. “Do not use medications that can thin the blood, such as aspirin, or those that may have side effects such as stomach problems or even bleeding, like Ibuprofen or Voltaren, etc. If the symptoms are severe, the advice is to consult a doctor”, says Public Health. 

The Public Health Department closely collaborates with general practitioners, laboratories, and the hospital to monitor the situation.