Recent gastroenteritis outbreak has ended, say health officials

National Epidemiologist Dr. Shallaudin Ahmed has reported an end to the gastroenteritis outbreak which began to affect Dominica on January 5 of this year.

He made the announcement during a recent Ministry of Health update.

Gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

“I am happy to report that [the] Gastroenteritis outbreak which began on January 5 has officially come to an end as of April 19,” he revealed. “During this period a total of 1,679 cases were reported.”

This he said represents 2.4 percent of the population.

“This makes it the most significant gastroenteritis outbreak Dominica has experienced in the past 18 years,” he noted.

Dr. Ahmed continued, “To give you a clearer picture, the number of cases reported during this outbreak, 1,679, is significantly higher than we typically see in an entire year.”

According to him, on average Dominica records 1,137 gastroenteritis cases annually.

“In fact, even during previous outbreaks the numbers were lower,” Dr. Ahmed explained. “For example, in 2022 we saw only 122 cases and the last major outbreak which followed Hurricane Maria from October 2017 and March 2018 we recorded 1,509 cases, still fewer than what we just experienced.”

Meanwhile, he noted that females accounted for 58 percent of all reported cases, and children aged 0 to 14 years made up another 58 percent.

“The outbreak affected 124 communities across all health districts with Roseau District being the most impacted,” Dr. Ahmed revealed. “A total of 92 individuals required hospitalization, mainly for rehydration and supported care.”

Furthermore, he stated that laboratory testing selected stool samples for over 20 possible bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens.

He added that no deaths have been reported as a result of this outbreak.