Dengue fever outbreak on Micronesian island (Yap) - state of emergency declared

[Pathfinder]

Dengue fever outbreak on Micronesian island

Last Updated: Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:30:00 +1100

Hundreds of people have been treated for dengue fever on the small Micronesian island of Yap.

The Ministry of Health has sought assistance from the World Health Organisation.

Dr Eric Nilles, from the WHO, who is in Yap, told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat it is a significant outbreak given the island's small population of around 15,000.

"So far there are a total of 286 cases that have been identified," he said.

...

http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201111/3367861.htm?desktop

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Dengue fever outbreak on Micronesian island (Yap)

Re: Dengue fever outbreak on Micronesian island (Yap)

22 Nov 2011

Micronesia (Federated States of)
Yap dengue virus differs from Marshall Islands outbreak

Report
?
Australian Broadcasting Corporation


Health officials have confirmed that two different dengue viruses are responsible for the outbreaks in Micronesia.

Marshall Islands has been hardest hit, but there's been a major outbreak in Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Representatives of WHO and the Secretariat of Pacific Communities have visited Northern Pacific islands to assess the extent of dengue fever and decide on the next course of action.

Presenter:Geraldine Coutts

Speaker Dr Yvan Souares, Disease Surveillance, Research, Control and Response Unit, Secretariat of Pacific Communities

Listen: Windows Media

SOUARES: The first thing to understand is that as far as we know there is no genelogical link between these two outbreaks. In fact the Marshall Islands are affected by the circulation by the dengue virus, which is called dengue virus 4, as you know there are four different viruses of dengue, and once you've got one you're immunised for life. And in our islands these viruses circulate according to cycle, when a similar type basically replaces the one that has been circulating before. So to speak for the period of 2008 till nowadays, the region has been affected by dengue four and poor circulating dengue one. Currently the Marshall Islands is affected by an outbreak of dengue four, which is basically the end of that cycle in the region . The bad news is that the outbreak in Yap on the other end of the region, in the west, has a different virus and is into dengue virus two, and the bad news is, hasn't been circulating in our region for at least 12 to 15 years, which means that all people that are 12 and 15 years old and younger, plus all people who have settled in the region in this period of time will be susceptible to that virus. And that is for at least half of the Pacific Island countries and territories. But in the other half it could be even worse since the last time dengue two circulated in our region before the late 90s, is in the early 70s. So it means it would be forty years of people who are susceptible.

More...
http://reliefweb.int/node/460624

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Dengue fever outbreak on Micronesian island (Yap)

Re: Dengue fever outbreak on Micronesian island (Yap)

Yap declares state of emergency due to dengue By Online Editor
3:05 pm GMT+12, 01/12/2011, Micronesia, Federated States of

Yap Governor Sebastian Anefal has declared a ?state of emergency to preserve public health against the spread of the dengue virus.?

In his declaration, he said the Yap State Department of Health Services identified an initial case of dengue fever in the state on Sept. 1, 2011.

As of Nov. 21, the department had identified 400 suspected cases, with 367 cases on the main island of Yap, 27 on Ulithi and two each on Fais, Euripik and Woleai.

...
http://www.pina.com.fj/?p=pacnews&m=read&o=10087596644ed6ef0d3484aab7d7fe

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Dengue fever outbreak on Micronesian island (Yap) - state of emergency declared

Dengue outbreak postpones Yap health conference

Monday, December 05, 2011 12:00AM Press Release

COLONIA, Yap (Yap State Government) ? The 2nd FSM Non-Communicable Diseases Conference that was supposed to be hosted in Yap has been postponed until further notice.

The conference was to be held from Dec. 12 to 16, but due to the dengue outbreak, it has been postponed until further notice.

The meeting was to have guest speakers from the Johnson A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization (and also from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and from the FSM National Health and Social Affairs office including the FSM Secretary of Health Vita Skilling and FSM 2nd Lady Mrs. Shra Alik, the national coordinator for the tobacco prevention program.

...
http://www.mvariety.com/index.php?o...erence&catid=17:palau-pacific-news&Itemid=129