Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2025

BVI experiencing increase in Dengue Fever, cases almost tripled since last year

BVI experiencing increase in Dengue Fever, cases almost tripled since last year

The British Virgin Islands is experiencing a spike in the number of reported cases of Dengue Fever, with numbers tripling since last year. Chief Medical Officer Dr Irad Potter told BVI News 106 more cases have been reported when compared to the corresponding period last year.

“In 2018, we had about 60 cases being reported to the Ministry of Health from the period of January 1 to August 31. This year, so far, from January 1 up until August 31, we’ve had 166 cases of suspected and confirmed cases,” Dr Potter stated.

Despite the alarming number, Dr Potter said none of the cases have been severe. He also said most of the persons infected with the virus have already been treated.

Mosquito population increases during rainy season

He further told our news centre it is not uncommon to see more cases of dengue during this time of year.

“What normally happens when we have the rainy season beginning is that you get the increase in the population of mosquitoes and we tend to get increasing incidents of dengue as well. We (the BVI) have the vectors that transmit dengue — the Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus,” the physician explained.

What are officials doing?


He also said the Health Ministry is already taking steps to prevent the virus from spreading further.

“When we begin to get increasing cases, we go back to surveillance and we try to determine which communities are having issues with the disease. Then based on that, we would go and do surveillance on the properties where the people live and get them to reduce any breeding on their premises and if we are having a big problem, we would get to do some fogging to kill the other mosquitoes,” Dr Potter said.

Take precautions


In the meantime, residents are being reminded to take the necessary precautions to help reduce the chances of the virus being transmitted.

These include inspecting premises to ensure no mosquito breeding sites are present, removing and treating any breeding sites found upon inspection, and using mosquito repellant to minimize chances of being bitten by the insect.

What is Dengue?


Dengue is an infection caused by a virus spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. There are four dengue viruses called Dengue Type One, Two, Three, and Four. You can only be infected by each “type” once in your lifetime.

Symptoms


Symptoms usually identified with Dengue Fever include a sudden onset of fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle pains, bone or joint pain, skin rash, vomiting, or the ‘feeling to vomit’.

Persons with severe Dengue may have all the aforementioned symptoms in addition to severe belly pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding from the mouth, nose or other unusual places, bloody or black and sticky stool, feeling faint, low energy or restlessness, small bleeding spots under the skin, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
×