The Cook Islands government has declared a dengue outbreak after eight cases were confirmed this week.
It only takes five cases to reach the threshold to declare an outbreak, under the Ministry of Health Te Marae Ora's dengue protocol.
The Asian tiger mosquito is one of the vectors responsible for transmitting dengue fever. Photo: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
The Cooks' Secretary of Health Bob Williams said the number of infected people would exceed the number of confirmed cases.
Since the beginning of the year, Te Marae Ora estimated that at least 60 people in Rarotonga were likely to have had dengue.
Williams said a Cook islands student who travelled back to Auckland recently has tested positive for dengue and has been admitted to hospital in Auckland where he is in isolation as a precaution
Earlier, 16 samples were sent to New Zealand last week for verification and so far nine have returned back, with eight testing positive for dengue type-two.
Prime Minister Mark Brown has asked officials to co-ordinate an island-wide operation to cleani out potential dengue sites.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that causes a flu-like illness which can occasionally develop into severe illness.
Photo: Rafael Ben-Ari/ 123RF