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Fiji's Health Ministry Declares Dengue Outbreak In Western Division With 200 Cases Reported
Fiji's Health Ministry has declared a dengue outbreak in the Western Division, with 200 cases recorded since the beginning of this year.
The country's Western Division consists of three provinces in western and northern parts of Viti Levu: Ba province, Nadroga-Navosa province, and Ra province.
The majority of cases are among those between the ages of 10 to 29 years old.
Cases of dengue fever are expected every year during the rainy season, from October to April, and after heavy, unfavourable weather events.
Fiji has been hit by a lot of bad weather since Christmas Day.
The Ministry said a Dengue Action Plan that has been implemented, and monitoring of the situation by both the divisional heads and senior managers has been ongoing.
It said divisional health teams have been alerted to the increasing number of dengue fever cases above expected levels, in order to encourage early recognition, treatment, and referral of cases as required.
Divisional and sub-divisional outbreak response teams have also been trained to investigate and respond during outbreaks, it added.
What to look out for
The Ministry continues to urge the public to learn about dengue fever, take precautions to prevent infection, and seek medical attention early if they develop symptoms.
Dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus. Humans become infected with the dengue virus when mosquitoes (black-and-white striped mosquitoes) bite someone infected with dengue (blood meal) and then transmit the virus when it bites another healthy person. Severe dengue fever can be deadly but most people will recover from dengue fever after an illness of 2 to 7 days, although you may continue to feel tired for weeks afterwards.
Dengue fever causes flu-like symptoms that generally last for 2 to 7 days.
High fever is usually accompanied by at least two of the symptoms: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, headache, eye pain, muscle or joint pains, headaches, pain behind eyes and a rash.
Other symptoms may include swollen glands, diarrhoea, and generally feeling unwell.
Seek medical attention immediately if you think you may have contracted dengue fever. Early diagnosis and management of symptoms are critical to reducing the risk of complications and avoid further spread of the virus.
Patients should get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids.
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