There is now an outbreak of dengue in Tobago, but there have been no known deaths. Out of the 159 cases reported so far, 55 were confirmed positive by rapid test, County Medical Officer of Health Dr Hutchinson Melville said yesterday.

However, Health Secretary Albert Pilgrim expressed confidence that the Division of Health had the situation under control and there is no reason to panic.

He said because of a holistic and consistent approach to the eradication of dengue, the dengue index rate had moved from the 30s to single digits. "While there is no known cure for dengue, we have a ready supply of test kits in order to quickly give preliminary diagnosis and begin the regiment of treatment as prescribed," Pilgrim said at a news conference at the Tobago Regional Health Authority's Mt Marie office.

Melville gave the breakdown of the cases since the start of the year as follows:

January 45 cases - 16 positive

February 17 cases - 8 positive

March 13 cases - 2 positive

April 12 cases - 1 positive

May 13 cases - 1 positive

June 24 cases - 6 positive

July 48 cases - 21 positive

In the village of Charlotteville, he said, four people tested positive; in Roxborough, one; in Bethel, two; Les Coteaux, three; and in Signal Hill, four people. This, he said, represents a 50 per cent increase compared to last year. Blood samples were taken from all those who tested positive and transferred to the Trinidad Public Health Laboratory, but results from January to the present are still outstanding.

Fogging and spraying exercises have since been intensified across the island. "We have increased the number of sprayers. We have increased our perifocal output, and we have also done an education campaign that was on the audio visual and audio media in Tobago," Public Health Inspector IV Louis Solomon said.

He said they were pleading with home owners to keep their premises clean to prevent the breeding of the Aedes Egypti mosquitoes, which spread the disease.