American Samoa on alert after imported dengue fever cases confirmed
123RF
The American Samoa Department of Health has issued a travel health alert after confirmation of three imported cases of dengue fever.
The department said the disease was found in travelers who had recently returned from Samoa.
In its statement on Tuesday local time (Wednesday, NZT) it said there were no confirmed locally-acquired cases.
"While there is no confirmed local transmission in American Samoa at this time, the presence of dengue in travellers returning from these affected countries increases the risk of the virus being introduced and spread locally by mosquitoes."
Environmental spraying and monitoring have been underway at the affected residences and surrounding areas.
The health department has issued advice for travellers, including that those who have recently traveled to Samoa, Fiji, Tonga or other dengue-affected areas
should monitor their health for 14 days upon return.
"Be alert for symptoms such as fever, rash, body aches, headache, or nausea. Seek medical care immediately if you develop symptoms and inform your physician of any travel history."
Samoa, Fiji and Tonga all
declared dengue outbreaks
earlier this year.
In its latest numbers released on 27 June, Tonga's dengue number had reached 884.
Samoa's Ministry of Health is posting on social media to remind people "dengue fever hasn't gone away" and offering advice.
It said Aedes mosquitoes are most active during early morning (6am-8am) and evening hours (4pm - 6pm).
"We can all prevent the spread of dengue by following easy preventative measures, such as wearing long sleeved clothes, remove all breeding sites, use repellent and mosquito net."
Meanwhile, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has developed a major climate change and health programme aimed at preventing the spread of climate-sensitive diseases.
The SPC said illnesses from dengue fever to diarrhoea, once considered seasonal, are now becoming year-round threats, driven by rising temperatures, saltwater intrusion, and failing water and sanitation systems.
The project is backed by a US$17.9 million grant from the Green Climate Fund and delivered in partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC).
SPC said over the next five years, more than 78,000 people will benefit directly from improved disease surveillance and early warning systems, better access to health information, and resilient water and sanitation infrastructure.
Director of SPC's climate change and sustainability division, Coral Pasisi, said this addresses one of the Pacific's most pressing but underfunded challenges - the intersection between health and climate.
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