Fiji: At least 2500 dengue cases as of early September

Event

Fiji's Health Minister declared on Monday, September 2, that more than 2500 confirmed dengue cases have been recorded across the island since January 2019, with 1894 cases in the first four months of the year. At least one person has died from the mosquito-borne disease.

Further spread of the disease is possible in the coming weeks.

Context

Symptoms of dengue fever include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rashes. DHF is characterized by high fever, the enlargement of the liver, and hemorrhaging.

Advice

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