With dengue cases in the Pacific at their highest level in almost a decade, people are being urged to protect themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes that spread the sometimes deadly disease. Photo credit: RNZ.
Source: RNZ Pacific
The Samoan Government says more than 5600 clinically diagnosed dengue cases have been recorded since January.
Of these, 2619 are laboratory-confirmed.
An outbreak of the disease was declared in April.
In a press statement delivered by caretaker Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, she says there have been four confirmed and one probable dengue-related death.
She says household inspections of more than 2000 homes showed poor waste disposal practices, stagnant water and overgrown vegetation are major contributors to heightened mosquito breeding places.
Dengue is fairly common in Pacific countries but this year the number is the highest it has been since 2016, according to the World Health Organisation’s Pacific Technical Support director, Dr Mark Jacobs.
He told Pacific Waves in late July the high case numbers in the region were due to a range of factors, including the movement of people between Pacific nations.
Dengue cannot spread from person to person, but once a certain type of mosquito bites an infected person, that mosquito can spread it to someone else.
Dr Jacobs says the climate change and shifting weather patterns in the region also increased the risk around dengue spread; and the lack of understanding around dengue hot spots was another risk factor.
The country’s Education Minister Ae’au Chris Hazelman says all schools will remain closed this week due to the outbreak, including ECE and universities.
“Based on the data provided to us by the Ministry of Health, not only at our national hospital at Moto’otua but all of our district hospitals as well and also the hospital in Savai’i – it is based on those numbers that we have made the decision to close the schools.”
Schools were closed last week, and a fumigation programme was launched.
Meanwhile, Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand says there were 34 confirmed cases of dengue reported in Auckland in July among people coming back into Aotearoa New Zealand – with approximately half of those acquired in Samoa.
Health NZ says Aotearoa does not have mosquitoes able to transmit dengue.
Visit the Safe Travel website for up-to-date travel advice.
