Traveling to Aruba: Public Health Service, Risk of Being Infected with Dengue Virus Still High

Traveling to Aruba? Wonder if the travel brochures, travel agents or travel web sites sold you about this?

Aruba has currently three of the four variations of dengue.  There are up till now no reports of persons with the dangerous variation of hemorrhage dengue.  The Public Health Service remains extra alert, especially due to all the air traffic during the holidays.

Dengue still high-risk 

ORANJESTAD – The risk being infected with the dengue virus is still high, reports the Public Health Service.  The lab tests also indicate this.  The service appeals to the community to remain alert on the breeding places of the dengue mosquito.  The eggs of the insect can stay alive for one year and can withstand the dry season.  Every rain shower increases their chances to survive. 

The Yellow Fever and Mosquito Control (Gele Koorts en Muskieten Bestrijding, GKMB) is these days checking for the presence of breeding places as much as possible.  They go door-to-door to do this and take actions if necessary.  Occupants will first get a warning when GKMB finds too many risky places.  People that do not want to cooperate can get fined.  This happens more and more, reports the service.  Despite the visits, the GKMB cannot manage to tackle all the possible breeding places in the country.  They therefore emphasize that each occupant has the responsibility to constantly check their homes and yards for possible breeding places.   

Aruba has currently three of the four variations of dengue.  There are up till now no reports of persons with the dangerous variation of haemorrhage dengue.  The Public Health Service remains extra alert, especially due to all the air traffic during the holidays.  The risk is very high that the fourth variation is imported. (Amigoe, 1/17/2008)