Background

The Public Health Department keeps track of communicable disease occurrence.

Public health issues are addressed by a communicable disease committee that brings together representatives from other government divisions such as environmental health and the Mosquito Research and Control Unit. With weekly reporting from multiple sites, the Public Health Department is in a strong position to monitor disease occurrence and conduct outbreak investigations. The department is also collaborates in disaster preparedness and response.

There have been no outbreaks of any communicable disease for several years except seasonal outbreaks of gastroenteritis and upper respiratory tract infections like influenza.

Residents are blessed with one of the best health care systems in the region. The Islands have three hospitals, five district health centres and about 75 physicians in the public and private sector for its estimated 55,000 residents.

Vector-borne diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, West Nile virus and malaria are not endemic in the Cayman Islands. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were eradicated from the islands about 20 years ago. Sporadic re-infestations are dealt with immediately by the Mosquito Research and Control Unit.