Pacific / Samoa

Cases steady at around 60 a week in Samoa dengue outbreak

14:23 pm on 21 May 2024

Photo: 123RF

Nearly 400 dengue cases have been recorded in Samoa from November last year to 12 May.

Samoa's Ministry of Health announced 62 new cases of dengue-like illness, and 36 lab-confirmed cases, from 6-12 May.

There were 68 cases of dengue-like illness for the previous week.

Dengue cases are densely distributed in the Apia urban area and North West of Upolu.

From November 2023 to 12 May, a total of 378 lab-confirmed dengue cases have been recorded.

The public are advised to remove stagnant water sources around the house to ensure mosquito breeding sites are eliminated.

They are also being asked to wear long clothing, sleep with mosquito nets, and use repellents.

There have been no dengue-related deaths in this outbreak, and the majority of cases are those aged under 10 and over 60.

Meanwhile, a Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) premilinary report showed a total of 7.3 million suspected cases of dengue, from epidimiologist weeks 1 to 17 this year.

About half of these - 3.3 million - were laboratory confirmed.

PAHO said this figure represents an increase of 243 percent compared to the same period in 2023.

More than 3000 people have died.