Dengue fever in Pacific Islands

Solomon Islands:

• Reported cases of dengue fever have now surpassed 10,000 infected people. Cases have occurred in all 10 provinces of the country.

Vanuatu:

• The number of reported cases of dengue continue to increase with over 1,700 reported. The majority of suspected cases are in Port Vila, however cases have also been reported in Luganville, Lenakel and Norsup.

Nauru:

• At least 88 people have been infected and one person has died.

Advice

The absence of reports from other areas does not mean that there is no dengue fever transmission there. The risk of exposure will vary from place to place and may be high in many localities.

All travellers to areas where the dengue fever virus is active can reduce their risk of exposure by taking all necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Many persons with dengue fever do not seek medical care and are not reported to health authorities. There may be many more cases in the community than the reports indicate.