— suspect flown out of Guyana for treatment

By Svetlana Marshall
A 50-year-old Guyanese national is now receiving medical attention overseas, after developing symptoms similar to that of the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu).This is the first and only suspected case of the virus that the Public Health Ministry is investigating here in Guyana for 2015, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Shamdeo Persaud said yesterday.

It was explained that the individual, after returning to Guyana from China, developed the symptoms (body aches, chills, cough, fatigue, fever and headache) within a two-week period. According to Dr Persaud, the 50-year-old man was admitted into a private city hospital, but was later transferred to another private medical institution. The Public Health Ministry was subsequently informed.

“We have since taken a sample, and that sample was sent for investigation,” the CMO said. According to him, the sample, taken over the weekend, was sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Laboratory in Trinidad. The results are expected early next week.

“CARPHA has indicated that, within five working days, the results will be returned.”

Even though the Public Health Ministry has been monitoring the situation, it has not, over the last 12 months, confirmed an H1N1 case in Guyana.
However, as the Ministry awaits the results, it is collecting critical data on the relatives of the suspected H1N1 patient.

“We will be monitoring close relatives and persons who would have come in contact with him, but at this point, there is no need for screening because a case has not been confirmed,” Dr Persaud explained.

He said that even in the absence of 29 confirmed H1N1 cases in Trinidad and Tobago, the Public Health Ministry has had an active disease surveillance system in place, particularly at the main ports in Guyana – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the Ogle International Airport.

“Of course you know that most of last year and early this year we were focused on Ebola. Prior to that, it was Chikungunya… and most recently, it was the Zika Virus,” he pointed out.

In dealing with the H1N1 virus and any other influenza, the Public Health Ministry has been using the “Keep Ebola and other Infectious Disease out of Guyana Strategy”, by implementing precautionary measures. That strategy focuses on six main areas: coordination and control; rapid detection, isolation and risk reduction; points of entry; clinical management; laboratory diagnosis; and information, education and communication.

“So we monitor all incoming flights, and what is mandatorily required is that the flight attendants provide, upon arrival of every commercial flight, general flight declaration. A significant part of that flight declaration is a health declaration for them to provide if there was any sick patient on board, if there was coughing, or if any of the passengers would have experienced fever,” the CMO explained.

It was further pointed out that the Ministry has taken a decision to boost its medical team operating at CJIA Medical Centre.
“We now have four medics on staff, and they are screening persons who are coming in with high temperature, and they even do follow-ups.”