Samoa records seventh death from dengue fever

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Samoa has recorded more than 14,000 clinically diagnosed dengue cases since January, and its seventh death from the disease.

The latest report, released on 29 September, covers the week of 22-28 September.

The Ministry of Health said for that period, cases were down 26 percent compared to the previous epidemiological week, with 378 clinically diagnosed dengue cases reported from all health facilities in Upolu and Savai'i.

There have been seven confirmed dengue-related deaths in Samoa.

Seventy-four percent of all cases were reported from Upolu island.

Cases continue to develop in other parts of the Pacific - the UN's ReliefWeb site showed Kiribati has reported 487 confirmed cases, as of 23 September, and another 1416 suspected, as well as one death.

As of 28 September, Tuvalu reported 690 suspected cases were tested, with 213 confirmed positive.

The dengue cases are widely distributed along Fongafale and two outer islands, Nanumaga (eight cases) and Nukufetau (10 cases).

American Samoa's Department of Health said there are 212 confirmed cases of dengue fever in the territory.

This figure is as of Monday, 29 September.

The health department said most cases have recovered.

There's better news in the Cook Islands, with Secretary of Health Bob Williams saying he believes there was only one case for the last two weeks and none in the outer islands.

"I think with the responses and the clean-ups, the Tutaka programmes, I think we are, hopefully, close to eliminating dengue here in Rarotonga," he said.