Penal straightener is latest dengue fatality

A Penal straightener is believed to be the country's latest dengue fatality.

Robby Harripersad, 53, was found dead at his Ramcharran Trace, San Francique, Penal home on August 5, days after being diagnosed with dengue fever by a private doctor.

An autopsy done at the San Fernando General Hospital on August 7 said his death was due to bleeding in the brain brought on by dengue shock syndrome.

Also known as severe dengue, dengue shock syndrome occurs when blood vessels become damaged and the number of platelets in the blood drops too low.

Sitting around smoking egg cartons to ward off mosquitoes at Harripersad's wake on Wednesday night, relatives described him as a strong man who rarely got sick. This, they said, is why they were surprised he died from the condition.

His son Randell said Harripersad began experiencing the classic dengue symptoms about two weeks ago and visited the doctor on August 2, when he was diagnosed.

"When I spoke to him (on August 3) he say he thought it was a normal virus, because he don't usually get sick.

"He told me he was feeling a lot better, but during the week he was feeling real weak and thought he would have died."

That was the last conversation he had with his father.

Harripersad's nephew Ramesh Ramsawak, who lived with him, said his uncle was restless the night he died, waking up several times going into the bathroom from his bedroom.

He said around 2 am, he discovered Harripersad lying on the floor, in between sleep and consciousness, complaining of feeling warm and wanting to shower.  Ramsawak said he retired to bed, leaving his uncle to sleep it off on the floor, but when he woke up around 6 am he discovered Harripersad dead.

"I was thinking he would wake up just now."

Harripersad was one of the most recent people to contract the mosquito-borne disease in the community.

Neighbour Navin Bhageloo said his wife's 13-year-old and 16-year-old nephews and his mother-in-law and father-in-law were all ailing from dengue. He said his father-in-law sought treatment at the Point Fortin Hospital on August 6.

He believes the current outbreak is being fuelled by the lagoons that surround the area.

"It's the lagoon. When you check it, everybody household, nobody don't have still water. The lagoon, when rain falls, water don't really run out from the lagoon."

They all believed there needed to be more spraying in the area against the insects. They said, while officials were warning about overusing the chemicals, their area had not benefited from spraying recently.

Despite the death, an update on Wednesday evening from the Ministry of Health, however, maintained there had been only five laboratory-confirmed dengue fatalities in the country – a status that remained since its July 24 update. Laboratory-confirmed cases, however, went up from 450 to 666.

Since the July 24 update, there have been two reported autopsy-confirmed dengue fatalities in the public domain – Harripersad and 35-year-old pharmacist Rakesh Daryl Nanlal, who died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex on August 1.

However, the Ministry of Health's August 7 update maintained the death toll at five. There are also reports suggesting that a 13-year-old Fyzabad girl died from the disease on July 31 but Newsday has not been able to verify this.

Harripersad's death on August 5 deepened an already gaping wound in the San Francique community, which was still coming to terms with the death of Ryan Ramnanan, who lived about three minutes away.

The 29-year-old's body was discovered in a pickup along with Sachen Teeluckdharry in the Cipero River under the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway on Sunday afternoon by the Hunters Search and Rescue Team after they did not return home from a night of liming.

The best friends, who were described as inseparable, will be cremated alongside each other on August 8 at the Shore of Peace, La Romaine.

In its update on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health reminded the population that dengue fever might be spread by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, and symptoms appear within five-six days of being bitten and last for one-two weeks.

Symptoms include fever, headaches, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, skin rash, nausea/vomiting and diarrhoea.

The ministry warned that anyone showing signs or symptoms of dengue fever should seek immediate medical treatment at their doctor or the nearest health facility.

To reduce the risk of contracting the disease, the ministry told the public to eliminate breeding grounds. It said people should dispose of all unwanted objects, derelict vehicles or appliances in the yard or environs which can collect water, cover water containers such as tanks, barrels, drums or buckets with a mosquito-proof covering, cut down and remove all bush or undergrowth that can harbour mosquitoes, clean drains and guttering to allow the free flow of water and use mosquito nets and insect repellent as a means of personal protection.