Suva, March 13 (IANS) Fiji’s Health Ministry has declared a dengue fever outbreak in the Western Division, where the highest number of cases have been reported.

As of February 23, Fiji has recorded a total of 2,436 dengue cases, with 1,411 confirmed infections from the Western Division.

The spike in cases has been attributed to the heavy rains and flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Rae, which created ideal conditions for the spread of the virus, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday, quoting the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.

The ministry has launched targeted interventions across the affected divisions, where public health teams are conducting house-to-house surveillance, applying larvicides, and carrying out mosquito spraying to control the spread.

Environmental health officers are also stepping up enforcement, inspecting properties for mosquito breeding sites and issuing fines under the Public Health Act for violations, the report said.

Similar proactive measures are being carried out in other divisions, including the Central, Northern, and Eastern Divisions.

According to the Health Ministry, preventive measures such as eliminating standing water around homes are critical to curbing the outbreak.

According to the World Health Organisation, dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates.

Most people who get dengue will not have symptoms. But for those who do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash. Most will get better in 1–2 weeks. Some people develop severe dengue and need care in a hospital.

In severe cases, dengue can be fatal.

The risk of dengue can be lowered by avoiding mosquito bites, especially during the day.

Dengue is treated with pain medicine as there is no specific treatment currently.

There is no specific treatment for dengue. The focus is on treating pain symptoms. Most cases of dengue fever can be treated at home with pain medicine.

The highest number of dengue cases was recorded in 2023, affecting over 80 countries in all regions of WHO. Since the beginning of 2023 ongoing transmission, combined with an unexpected spike in dengue cases, resulted in a historic high of over 6.5 million cases and more than 7300 dengue-related deaths reported.

–IANS

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