Jamaica Observer
The chikungunya virus continues to create scheduling headaches for organisers of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) competition.
Yesterday’s encounter between Barbican FC and Waterhouse FC at the University of the West Indies Mona Bowl was put off because players from the latter team have fallen ill to the virus. Waterhouse versus Harbour View FC, originally set for Sunday, is also postponed.
Only days ago, word from the Waterhouse camp was that they had, up to that point, escaped being deeply affected.
In a Jamaica Observer article published on Wednesday, Keith Sailsman, the manager of the Drewsland-based club, said a “few” players fell ill, but the virus “hasn’t affected Waterhouse seriously”.
But the Professional Football Association of Jamaica (PFAJ) issued a release on Wednesday afternoon, stating that Barbican vs Waterhouse and Waterhouse vs Harbour View FC games, scheduled for September 25 and 28, respectively, have been “postponed until further notice” as a result of “the Waterhouse squad (including the goalkeepers) being seriously affected” by the virus.
On Sunday, Rivoli United were unable to honour their RSPL home fixture against Sporting Central Academy after several players were downed with confirmed cases of the virus.
The strain of the virus currently affecting humans throughout numerous countries in the Caribbean is transmitted by the infected Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Signs of an infected person usually include fever and flu-like symptoms, skin rash and severe joint pain. In extreme cases, the pain can persist for years.
Medications can be used to reduce symptoms, but no specific cure has been identified. The Ministry of Health has issued statements urging persons to assist in eliminating breeding sites and to try to avoid contact with mosquitoes.
In the Wednesday edition of the Observer newspaper, the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) expressed an interest in seeking guidance from the Ministry on a plan of action.
“We have to take our cue from the Ministry of Health and ask them what’s the best way,” Andrew Price, the PLCA general manager, said.