KINGSTON, Jamaica — Health authorities in Jamaica have reported a significant outbreak of leptospirosis following Hurricane Melissa, with 14 fatalities recorded to date. According to Dr. Karen Webster-Kerr, Principal Medical Officer and National Epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, six of these deaths have been laboratory-confirmed as leptospirosis, while others remain under investigation.
The epidemiological data reveals a sharp increase in cases after the hurricane, with 10 deaths occurring post-Melissa compared to four beforehand. Overall, Jamaica has documented 90 suspected cases—51 pre-hurricane and 39 post-hurricane—with 21 cases confirmed through testing.
Demographic analysis shows the most vulnerable groups are males aged 20–29 and adults over 60 years old. Geographically, St. James Parish has reported the highest infection rates, followed by St. Ann and St. Elizabeth.
In contrast to the leptospirosis outbreak, Jamaica maintains low levels of other infectious diseases. All 39 dengue tests processed between November 8–18 returned negative results, indicating minimal transmission activity. The country also remains below epidemic thresholds for respiratory illnesses and gastroenteritis across all age groups and parishes.
However, officials noted concerning injury trends in Westmoreland and Kingston-St. Andrew, where accident rates have reached epidemic levels post-hurricane. This has resulted in two tetanus cases from nail injuries, including one fatal incident involving a 71-year-old Westmoreland man. Health authorities are urging proper wound care and tetanus vaccination for those injured during cleanup operations.