Pacific

Samoans urged to take care not to spread dengue

13:59 pm on 27 April 2009

The Samoa Ministry of Health has urged the public to take special care to prevent another outbreak of dengue.

The ministry says in a statement that neighboring islands are experiencing

dengue outbreaks and the public's cooperation is needed to ensure that proper preventive measures are taken.

The ministry says that clinical cases are occuring every month.

Preventive measures which the ministry recommends include the destruction of mosquito breeding sites, the use of mosquito nets and repellents, and the wearing appropriate clothing to cover the body especially in areas of high mosquito concentration.

Signs and symptoms of dengue fever include acute fever of between 2-7 days duration, headache, pain behind the eyes; muscle pain, joint and bone pain, and a rash.

Dengue haemorrhagic fever is a much more serious form of the condition where the affected person starts to bruise easily and experiences vomiting, bleeding from the mouth and uncontrolled bleeding from wounds.