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Pago Pago, American Samoa— The Samoan Ministry of Health is still reporting cases of dengue fever.
The Ministry of Health said in its update for the week of July 29 to August 4 that 494 laboratory-confirmed cases had been reported since November.
Four laboratory-confirmed cases were reported during the week.
The Ministry of Health said the highest number of cases were in the 20 to 29 age group and no deaths had been reported so far.
“The dengue cases are concentrated in the Apia Urban Area (AUA) and North West Upolo (NWU) areas of the province,” the ministry said.
Public advice remains the same – clean up stagnant water where mosquitoes may breed, wear appropriate clothing, and use mosquito nets and repellent.
Affected people should watch for severe symptoms and monitor others in their home.
Earlier this year, Europe reported an increase in dengue cases.
As of April 30, the World Health Organization has reported more than 7.6 million cases of dengue fever this year, including 3.4 million confirmed cases, more than 16,000 severe cases, and more than 3,000 deaths.
The WHO said the increase was particularly pronounced in the Americas.
WHO says most cases are asymptomatic or result in a mild febrile illness (i.e. an illness with or showing symptoms of fever), but some develop into severe dengue fever, which may be accompanied by shock, severe bleeding or serious organ damage.
Meanwhile, the Samoan Ministry of Health also said they continue to observe an increase in the number of people presenting to hospitals with flu-like symptoms, and the numbers remain high.
In the week of July 29 to August 4, more than 1,200 cases were reported, compared to 1,363 the week before.
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