2 dengue cases reported at Vanuatu’s Vila Central Hospital

The Ministry of Health reported two cases of dengue fever at Vila Central Hospital since 4 February 2022.

The cases had no recent history of travel outside of Vanuatu so the dengue was locally acquired.

They identified in Efate in the areas of Erakor and Salili.

The Ministry of Health has urged residents in Port Vila and surrounding areas to take the necessary steps to prevent infection.

People must wear clothes that cover as much of the body as possible, use mosquito repellents, mosquito nets and other physical barriers such as screens, closed doors and windows.

Emptying, eliminating or covering the water sites that can breed mosquitoes is also an effective method of prevention. If there are no dengue mosquitoes there will be no dengue transmission.

Community leaders, including from churches and schools, have been asked to mobilise groups to clean up around homes, communities and public areas to try to stop transmission.

Dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes from the Aedes genus, which can transmit zika virus, chikungunya and yellow fever disease. Aedes mosquitoes are found in most tropical countries, including Vanuatu.

This is the mosquito that was targeted in the Wolbachia World Mosquito Programme in Port Vila.

Therefore, the Ministry of Health said it was possible a different mosquito species, Aedes albapictus, was involved in dengue transmission.

This species has been responsible for large dengue outbreaks elsewhere in the Pacific.

They bite people during the daytime and are usually more active in the early morning or late afternoon.

Symptoms usually develop 4-10 days after the bite from an infected mosquito.

 

Photo file RNZ Pacific  Caption: Vila Central Hospital 

     

Author: 
Tensly Sumbe