Nauru is the latest Pacific nation to report dengue deaths
lamyai/123RF
Nauru's Health Department has confirmed two deaths related to dengue fever: a 15-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl.
The Department said over the past two months, RON Hospital and Public Health have conducted 665 tests on adults and children, with 222 confirmed dengue cases and the majority being children under the age of 10.
The first reported case of dengue fever in Nauru was on 27 June.
The community is urged to use mosquito repellent, dress children in protective clothing, and empty water-holding containers.
Dr David Bill said the tragic losses are a painful reminder of the seriousness of dengue infection, "especially among our most vulnerable population."
Meanwhile, a fourth death has been
reported in Samoa
- a nine-year-old boy.
Deaths from dengue have also been reported in Fiji.
ReliefWeb, a service of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reports outbreaks have been declared in American Samoa on 8 July (12 lab-confirmed cases as of 21 July); Rarotonga on 22 May (73 confirmed cases as of 23 July); Kiribati on 24 April (375 confirmed cases as of 28 July); Samoa on 17 April (2277 confirmed cases as of 27 July); Tonga on 19 February (904 confirmed cases as of 25 July) and Tuvalu on 5 June (37 confirmed cases as of 28 July).
The World Health Organisation's Pacific technical support director Dr Mark Jacobs told
Pacific Waves
last week that July regional data showed the number of suspected dengue cases was 18,766 -
the highest since 2016
.
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Photo: lamyai/123RF Nauru's Health Department has confirmed two deaths related to dengue fever: a 15-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl. The Department said over the past two months, RON Hospital and Public Health have conducted 665 tests on adults and children, with 222 confirmed dengue cases and the majority being children under the age of 10. The first reported case of dengue fever in Nauru was on 27 June. The community is urged to use mosquito repellent, dress children in protective clothing, and empty water-holding containers. Dr David Bill said the tragic losses are a painful reminder of the seriousness of dengue infection, "especially among our most vulnerable population." Meanwhile, a fourth death has been reported in Samoa - a nine-year-old boy. Deaths from dengue have also been reported in Fiji. ReliefWeb, a service of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reports outbreaks have been declared in American Samoa on 8 July (12 lab-confirmed cases as of 21 July); Rarotonga on 22 May (73 confirmed cases as of 23 July); Kiribati on 24 April (375 confirmed cases as of 28 July); Samoa on 17 April (2277 confirmed cases as of 27 July); Tonga on 19 February (904 confirmed cases as of 25 July) and Tuvalu on 5 June (37 confirmed cases as of 28 July). The World Health Organisation's Pacific technical support director Dr Mark Jacobs told Pacific Waves last week that July regional data showed the number of suspected dengue cases was 18,766 - the highest since 2016 .
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