New Caledonia: Dengue fever outbreak

Event

An outbreak of dengue fever continues to spread in New Caledonia. According to health authorities, around 1200 cases have been reported in 2018 (as of late May), with case rates having drastically increased since February. On Wednesday, May 23, the government announced that a six-month-old baby died on May 19 in the Ducos neighborhood of Noumea after contracting the disease. In March, a 74-year-old women also died from the disease.

Context

In 2017, 4200 cases of dengue fever were reported in New Caledonia, including 11 fatalities. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease found mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rash. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a potentially deadly complication that is characterized by high fever, enlargement of the liver, and hemorrhaging.

Advice

Individuals present in New Caledonia are advised to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites (e.g. by wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, and sleeping in a screened-in or air-conditioned room) and to eliminate possible mosquito breeding grounds (small pockets of fresh water, such as rain water that has collected in cans, bottles, tires, flower pots, clogged gutters, etc.).