Dengue fever outbreak declared in Samoa
On Friday, the Director General of the Ministry of Health, Aiono Dr. Alec Ekeroma announced the declaration of a dengue fever outbreak in Samoa.
There have been more than 250 cases in total, with the majority of cases on the mainland, northwest of Upolu where most of the population lives.
Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop with illness generally lasting less than a week.
Health effects from dengue include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding.
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Dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.
In severe cases, health effects can include hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), shock (seriously low blood pressure), organ failure, and death.