The Republic of Marshall Islands has issued a proclamation to declare a state of health emergency after an influx in cases of dengue fever were reported. The Declaration called on all relevant Ministries of her Government to take proactive action to create awareness and preventative measures to ensure containment of cases across the islands.
According to the RMI Ministry of Health, 64 cases were reported in Ebeye with one confirmed positive by the Hawaii State Laboratory. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. It is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito and symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. This may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash. In some cases, it can be fatal.
RMI is one of several Pacific island countries who have declared an outbreak of dengue in the past five years. Samoa had an outbreak between August 2017 and March 2018 – where over 3000 cases were reported through the National Health Services.
Experts have warned that the incidences will get worse and outbreaks will become more frequent.
According to
“The global expansion of dengue follows the global spread of its mosquito vectors. Climatic conditions, particularly temperature, constrain the geographical distribution and expansion of Aedes mosquitoes. Furthermore, temperature and precipitation strongly affect mosquito development and population dynamics,” they wrote.
