Epidemic Alerts Issued in Pacific Islands

The Pacific Community has issued alerts for several diseases in the Pacific Islands. In the Federated States of Micronesia, an outbreak of acute watery diarrhea has been reported on the island of Yap and its surrounding islands. The Yap State Public Health Surveillance Office has confirmed 141 cases of diarrhea, with 85 cases treated at the main hospital's outpatient department and 46 cases at Ifalik. The cause of the outbreak has not been established, and a grey alert has been issued for the Federated States of Micronesia. In the Marshall Islands, a dengue fever outbreak has been reported in Majuro, with 46 confirmed cases and a total of 109 laboratory tests conducted. The alert for dengue fever remains red. In Samoa, 22 new cases of dengue fever were reported in the past three weeks, with a 29% increase in cases during the last week. The alert for dengue fever remains blue. In Vanuatu, 12 new cases of dengue fever were reported in the past week, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 134. The alert for dengue fever remains in place.