PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Aug 11, CMC – The Public Health Bureau (BOG) says while Suriname is no longer in the epidemic phase of chikungunya, the virus is still circulating and that cases are still being recorded, particularly in the capital, Paramaribo and in Brokopondo located on the west shore of the Suriname river.
The acting head of the Environmental Inspectorate at the BOG, Stephanie Cheuk A Lam, says that both the number of laboratory-confirmed cases and the number of infections diagnosed based on symptoms have decreased.
“We are already out of the epidemic phase. It is a disease that is actually circulating a little in Suriname, but not in quantities that we really need to worry about,” she told the state-owned Communication Service Suriname (CDS).
The BOG said that recently circulated media images giving the impression of a new surge in chikungunya do not reflect the current situation and that preventive measures must not be abandoned.
“If we all do our part and clean up the breeding grounds, keep our surroundings tidy, and remain vigilant, we can prevent another outbreak,” Cheuk A Lam said.
According to the BOG, spraying alone is insufficient to keep chikungunya under sustainable control and that “spraying is really just a snapshot” since larvae and eggs can remain in and around stagnant water and later give rise to a new mosquito population.
The BOG said that given the current the dry and warm period it is calling for extra attention to planters, vases, animal drinking bowls, and other water containers and storage areas, urging also that water reservoirs must be properly covered and thoroughly cleaned regularly.
Chikungunya is caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an alphavirus spread to humans primarily through the bites of infected female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
CMC/gf/ir/2026