Got a question ....
A friend of mine just returned from 15 days on Caye Caulker. I say 15 days, but actually it was 13 because he and his entire party of 5 were Emergency flighted back to the US because of sever illness. They were [each and every one of them] diagnosed with Dengue Fever. Thankfully they did not suffer the more sever DHFS form, but none the less they were all Very Sick and took an additional 5 days after their return to get back on thier feet.

Has there been any reports of this on AC? Or with any of the mainland trip/tour services?

I believe that to get Dengue you have to actually be bitten by the infected [carrier] mosquito, So a good dose of mosquito prevention should keep the worries down. But I was curiuos to know if this has been or is a problem in AC or other Cayes [other than Caulker]in the area.

This is the first I have ever heard of Dengue on Caye Caulker. I have heard of cases in north Belize and also Ambergris over the years but never Caye Caulker. Had your friends been anywhere else during their trip? Jungle or ruins excursion perhaps?

Your correct. Dengue fever is passed on only by a particlular mosquito. Funny enough, it usually occupies indoor areas mostly. I was bitten and caught Dengue in 1996 in Ambergris Caye. It was because I hadn't paid much attention to the mosquitos in the room.

I now go through a regimen with a towel every time I get a new hotel room. I kill every mosquito I can find by swatting them, and then I give the room a spraying of bug killer and leave the room for about an hour.

I don't get bitten in bed any longer.

The bottom line is that the mosquitos indoors are more dangerous than the ones outdoors, so kill them before they get you.

Jim

In talking with his last night, he says they never left Caulker except on the fishing boat that they spent the majority of thier time on.

Says he usally doesn't worry bout the little varmits [skeeters] since he rarely if ever gets bit in the first place, something about his Native American blood, but he says he will be SURE to bring protection on his next trip

Do you think I would look funny wearing my bee keeper suit all week?
That was the most disturbing post I have read.
I can see my husband now...swatting every little insect, crumb or piece of lint in his path!!!
Ick.

i never sprayed anything anywhere and we always come with a rather large group, occupying several rooms.

no one has ever gotten anything such as this.

That's Great News Marty .... I wasn't trying to put a scare into anyone, just lookin to see if anyone else had heard of problems like this in the area.

Are the mosquitos bad during the summer months at AC? Anyone have any great suggestions for combating the prob?

On a previous trip to many parts of Belize (May and early June) including Caye Caulker, I didn't get even one bite. The only one I got was the night before we left while watering my own backyard.
My daughter got one bite on her ankle in Placencia after walking on the beach at dusk. We used Avon Bug Guard Plus (not skin so soft) It also has 30+ SPF and is waterproof, so the sunburn situation is taken care of at the same time. We used it just in case, but really never saw many bugs at all.
I read an article somewhere that showed the statistics on Dengue fever... Hawaii had a high rate...
Guess I will stick to Belize!

Dengue fever is present in Belize, but it is fairly uncommon compared with most of the rest of Central America. Last year, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica had serious epidemics, with tens of thousands of cases, including a few deaths from the rarer hemorhagic varities. The Yucatan also had many cases. I think it's also present in some areas of the U.S. It's an emerging disease that is becoming more common.

I don't know the number of cases in Belize last year, but it was probably in the hundreds.

Usually dengue occurs in and after the rainy season. Last year the Belize government sprayed for it in a lot of areas.

It is carried by the Aedes aegypt mosquito, which does prefer more urban areas and often is found inside houses, unlike the mosquito that carries malaria. I know quite a few people on the mainland who have had dengue over the years but haven't heard of many cases on the cayes.

I had what I think was a mild case a couple of years ago, but I never confirmed it with my doc. Symptoms usually are similar to the flu, with joint aches.

There's no vaccine for it, and unless you have the more serious variety, no treatment except rest and Tylenol (don't take aspirin as bleeding can result.)

I personally wouldn't be much concerned about it in Belize unless things change.

--Lan Sluder