PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – HEALTH officials in Trinidad and Tobago have begun monitoring several areas across the country following the confirmation of Yellow Fever in a monkey.
The Ministry of Health, in a media statement, confirmed that laboratory testing detected the virus in a deceased Red Howler monkey. However, officials emphasized that there have been no confirmed human cases of Yellow Fever in Trinidad and Tobago at this time.
According to the ministry, surveillance and vector control measures have already been carried out in the affected areas, and monitoring will continue as a precautionary measure.
Over the past year, health officials in St. Kitts and Nevis and across the wider hemisphere have flagged several countries in the Southern Hemisphere where cases of the disease have been reported.
Locally, the Ministry of Health has also announced that travellers arriving from certain destinations are required to present proof of vaccination against Yellow Fever.
Yellow Fever is a viral disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, including the Aedes aegypti species. Health officials in Port-of-Spain noted that non-human primates, such as Red Howler monkeys, often serve as early indicators of the presence of the virus in the environment.
While no human cases have been identified, the confirmed case in the monkey signals the need for heightened vigilance and preventative action.
Initial symptoms of Yellow Fever, which usually appear three to six days after infection, include:
Sudden fever
Chills
Headache
Back pain
Nausea
Vomiting
Jaundice
The ministry has urged the public in Trinidad and Tobago to take the necessary precautions when outdoors to prevent mosquito bites. Residents are also encouraged to reduce mosquito breeding sites around their homes as part of efforts to lower the risk of transmission.
