Pacific

Dengue fever in Palau on the decrease

07:21 am on 28 July 2007

Health Officials in Palau say dengue fever is on the decline.

Public Health Director Dr Stevenson Kuartei says while 55 cases have been confirmed, the dengue outbreak is subsiding.

This follows a national effort to clean-up the main and outer-islands of Palau to prevent dengue fever from spreading further.

He says the the U.S. Centers For Disease Control is testing to see whether the Zika virus, found on neighbouring island, Yap, has made its way to Palau, too.

Dr Kuartei says the CDC has been asked to determine whether some of Palau's dengue cases are actually caused by the Zika virus, which has similar but less severe symptoms.