Mosquitp Borne Illness in the Caribbean

[tartanexile81]

Anybody who's visited the Caribbean recently know how extensive the mosquito borne infection [ Chikungunya] is and what, if anything, they are advising onboard ships? Just wondered in particular if it was in the towns /beach or only in more rural areas?

 

I went onto our Cruise Personaliser today and the Check Your Vaccines tab was highlighted in red. I checked on the health website and apparently there's an illness caused by mosquitoes which started in St Maarten and has now spread to Guadeloupe and St Barth's. We're visiting all three and as my OH has a health issue it's a bit worrying.

[Eastbourne]

This has been under publicised in my opinion. We are just back and I took precautionary repellents with me. We were fine but a friend who visited 6 weeks before had 8 weeks of work. That said I was told that the Islands had fumigated themselves!! Seems a bit unlikely but a repellent will no doubt be effective for you. No one I know that has been recently. Ie in the last month has had any problems..

[alvin moondust]

We were in Barbados in November and they were talking about Denge fever (think thats how its spelt) and they were carrying out fumigation activities in the grounds of some hotels near the beach

[jemgee]

Dengue fever has been around in the whole of the Carribean - I know because it was prevalent in Jamaica in 68-71 when we lived there. It is also in Asia and is carried by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that can spread the dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, and other diseases. They usually breed in the wet season in stagnant pools of water - which can be puddles on the ground or in the boles of trees. The authorities normal way to prevent the breeding used to be to splash a spot of oily liquid onto the puddle as this made a film over the water surface. Check for vaccinations!

[YORKI1]

Anybody who's visited the Caribbean recently know how extensive the mosquito borne infection [ Chikungunya] is and what, if anything, they are advising onboard ships? Just wondered in particular if it was in the towns /beach or only in more rural areas?

 

I went onto our Cruise Personaliser today and the Check Your Vaccines tab was highlighted in red. I checked on the health website and apparently there's an illness caused by mosquitoes which started in St Maarten and has now spread to Guadeloupe and St Barth's. We're visiting all three and as my OH has a health issue it's a bit worrying.

 

 

We have just returned from a 14 night cruise on the Azura, which included St Maarten. I was aware of a problem before my cruise from reading posts on Cruise Critic and expected at least a warning before we docked in St Maarten but there was none, so I was not concerned. Although I was a little worried when I was bitten by something shortly after arriving in St Maarten, I never developed any of the symptoms.

 

I should stress I am fit and healthy and don't have any health conditions. If I did I would have taken extra precautions.

 

I did notice there were posters in both Philipsburg and Marigot advising visitors of the mosquito borne infection (Chikungunya).

 

If you have any concerns I suggest you speak to your GP before you depart.