Pacific syndromic surveillance report
Week 10, ending 9th March, 2014
The following syndromes have been flagged:
- Acute fever and rash: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu
- Influenza like-illness: Fiji, Kiribati
- Diarrhoea: Fiji, Solomon Islands
- Prolonged fever: Fiji, Palau
- Measles outbreak in Port Moresby, PNG has increased to a total of 12 cases as of 12 March, 2014.
- Since January this year Vanuatu has been experiencing a dengue serotype-3 epidemic with 1,207 suspected cases as of 12 March 2014. There have been 2 reported deaths.
- Cook Islands – 35 dengue-like illness samples were tested in French Polyesnia for dengue and zika viruses. All were negative for dengue, but 19 tested positive for zika virus (see below). The dengue outbreak that was previously reported appear to be a zika virus outbreak.
- As of March 10, Fiji reported 11,359 suspected dengue cases of which 4372 tested NS1 or IgM positive with the dengue rapid test. Prior laboratory confirmation by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arboviral Diseases at QUT, Brisbane, identified dengue virus serotype 3. There have been 10 confirmed deaths. The majority of the cases are from the Central Division, however they are increasing number of cases in the Western and the Northern Divisions.
- United Arab Emirates (UAE) – As of 11th of March, 2014 reported an additional 1 laboratory confirmed case and Saudi Arabia – As of 5th March, 2014 had reported an additional of 2 laboratory confirmed cases. Bringing a total of 189 laboratory-confirmed cases with 82 known deaths.
- As of 12th March, 2014 the Cook Islands reported 188 dengue-like illness cases. As reported above, 35 blood samples of dengue like illness cases were sent for confirmatory/serotyping to the Institut Louis Mallards, (ILM) French Polynesia and 19 were confirmed for zika virus. For further details please refer to Dr Rangiau Fariu’s PacNet posting yesterday.
- Easter Island – As of 7th March, 2014 they have reported 1 confirmed case of zika virus and 40 suspected cases.