CMO blasts local media house on dengue fever report
Official response to follow soon…

By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Ministry of Health has issued a release addressing an issue that arose from an article carried by one of the local media houses concerning the presence of dengue fever and or yellow fever in the Federation.

The statement which was issued by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrick Martin states that the Ministry of Health’s attention was drawn to “the lead story in the Wednesday 5th November issue of the SUN St. Kitts/Nevis in which it is stated that there are yellow fever cases in St. Kitts.”

The release further informs that “this report is false”.

The article to which the release refers, entitled “Dengue watch…Suspected cases of yellow fever in SKN”, states that that media house had an exclusive interview with the Chief Environmental Health Officer in the Ministry of Health, Elton Morton, during which he informed that there is a couple of “suspected cases” in the Federation.

“Information reaching SUN St. Kitts Nevis has indicated that there could be two cases of dengue fever (better known as yellow fever) in St. Kitts,” the daily organ read.

It further quoted Morton as saying “…We have a couple of suspected cases so far for the year. They are being treated and the blood samples are being sent to CAREC. No vaccines are available for dengue but travellers can protect themselves by using anti (protection measures).”

The Ministry of Health’s release lists the media house’s reference to dengue fever as yellow fever as being “categorically false”, and noted “There have (been) no reported cases of Yellow Fever in decades”.

In response to the release, Angela Titley, Office Manager and Supervisor at the SUN, noted that in the article “we never stated there are yellow fever cases in St. Kitts”. She also noted that both the headline and the fourth paragraph of the article include the words “suspected cases”.

SKNVibes spoke with the reporter who authored the article and she communicated SUN St. Kitts Nevis’ intention to provide an official response/release on the issue.