Mosquito virus fear hits Britons’ Caribbean holidays
BRITISH tourists in the Caribbean are being struck down by a debilitating and potentially deadly virus carried by mosquitos.
An unprecedented outbreak of the Chikungunya virus is affecting islands including Barbados, St Lucia and the Grenadines, where many UK holidaymakers flock during the coming festive season.
Thousands have been hit by the illness, which leaves victims bedridden for days.
Some have reported feeling the effects for months or years after contracting the bug, and more vulnerable victims have died.
Trials of an anti-viral drug in the US have had positive results, but there is currently no vaccine commercially available.
Yesterday, there were fears some British tourists may not realise the dangers until it is too late, amid reports tour operators are playing down the problem.
Chikungunya, which is contracted through mosquito bites, causes a sudden onset of fever and agonising joint pain, particularly affecting the hands, wrists, ankles and feet.
British tourists and expats are among hundreds of thousands of cases reported since the beginning of the outbreak last year. Dr Saranthdany Xavier, a doctor on Bequia island in St Vincent and the Grenadines who contracted the disease, said: ‘The outbreak began here in April and since then there have been about 2,000 cases in the country as a whole,’ he said.
‘From August, it has been calming down but we are still treating a few cases. Lots of my friends have come down with it. The mosquitos … bite everyone the same.’
Shavern Ollivierre, of community group Action Bequia, said: ‘I had it back in May and it was really quite painful for three days. It’s a very grave problem … in the entire region. I’ve got a lot of family in Barbados and it is rampant there.’
According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency, there have been 165 confirmed cases in St Vincent and the Grenadines – and locals say the suspected number is much higher.
In Barbados, there were 58 confirmed diagnoses and 1,258 suspected sufferers. The Dominican Republic had six deaths, with 498,916 suspected cases, while Martinique has had 1,515 diagnoses, 74 deaths and 68,140 suspected sufferers.
The disease has spread into Nicaragua, Honduras and other countries in central and south America. Between 65,000 and 117,000 people are estimated to be infected in Venezuela.
As of last month, a total of 739,410 suspected cases and 118 deaths have been reported in the Caribbean and the Americas. But health officials warned the true numbers could be higher as some countries have been slow in testing and reporting.
It is feared the virus could spread from Bequia to the nearby private island of Mustique, which is a favourite among celebrities and royalty. The Duchess of Cambridge holidayed there with Prince George in February.
Yesterday there was anecdotal evidence that some businesses want to play down the dangers. One British expat in Bequia, who said her husband had been in ‘sheer agony’ from the virus, described it as a ‘dirty little secret’. She added: ‘Visitors and tourism are a vital part of the economy … There are concerns that news is getting out and the tourists aren’t coming.’
Chikungunya was first reported in the region by the World Health Organisation last December. It said the outbreak was ‘unprecedented’. There have since been cases in Montpellier, France – prompting fears it could spread to the UK.