St. James health teams on alert for hantavirus as PAHO flags wider regional outbreaks

The St. James Health Department says it is positioned to curb any spread of hantavirus should the illness reach Jamaica, with staff already operating at an elevated level of watch for the rodent-associated threat.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Francine Phillips-Kelly addressed Thursday's monthly sitting of the St. James Municipal Corporation. She argued that sustained monitoring is essential partly because Jamaicans are among the most active international travellers worldwide, a pattern that can draw unfamiliar infections toward the island.

Hantavirus is a zoonotic viral respiratory disease linked to the virus of the same name. Human cases typically follow exposure to the urine, faeces, or saliva of infected rodents, especially rats.

"We are keenly aware of this situation and we have to remain vigilant because as we all know, St. James is an active cruise ship destination," Dr. Phillips-Kelly said. She also referenced neighbouring Trelawny during the same update.

Turning to the wider public-health picture, she noted that the Pan American Health Organization has circulated regional advisories on measles, dengue, and additional conditions. Officials in the Ministry of Health and Wellness have therefore stepped up communicable and non-communicable disease surveillance as outbreaks continue in jurisdictions close to Jamaica.

Among the illnesses highlighted in PAHO alerts are measles, chikungunya, influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus, and dengue across the Americas. Jamaica, as part of that regional health community, will maintain a heightened state of readiness, she told the corporation.