Dengue fever has struck Ebeye Island in the Marshall Islands with nine confirmed cases and over 103 people presenting with symptoms of the mosquito borne illness.
The government has issued a State of Emergency and there are travel restrictions in place with boats being turned away from the island as authorities aim to limit transmission.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Republic of the Marshall Islands is Jack Niedenthal and he told Jenny Meyer the situation is currently contained to Ebeye but days of heavy rain has the rest of the nation on alert.
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A 2011 outbreak of dengue fever in the Marshall Islands led US Navy and Marshall Islands government teams to collaborate on mosquito eradication around Majuro by spraying community areas, government buildings and homes. Photo: Giff Johnson