Travellers urged to be on alert for dengue with increased cases in the Pacific
National
With significant dengue outbreaks across the Pacific, travellers are being urged to protect themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes that spread the sometimes deadly disease. There has also been an increased number of travellers returning to New Zealand with the disease.
Several Pacific countries, including Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu are experiencing outbreaks of dengue. The Cook Islands has been particularly impacted.
Dr Matt Reid, Public Health Medicine Specialist for the National Public Health Service, says the outbreaks have also driven an increased number of cases in New Zealand, with 86 people contracting the disease – 75 of them associated with travel to the Cook Islands. “These cases have been continuing to grow week on week,” he says.
New Zealand does not have mosquitoes able to transmit dengue. While you cannot catch dengue from another person, you can get it from infected mosquitoes in an area or region that has dengue, and there is no available vaccine in New Zealand.
“This is why it's important that people travelling to these areas where dengue is widespread, should take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and follow local public health advice,” Dr Reid says. “People over 60-years-old and children aged 10 and under are also at greater risk of severe illness from dengue.”
If you’re travelling outside Aotearoa New Zealand to an area with dengue, protect yourself by:
- staying or sleeping in well-screened locations, or under mosquito nets
- keeping screens on doors and windows closed when indoors
- wearing light coloured protective clothing, including, hats, long sleeves and trousers when outdoors
- wearing a repellent cream or spray containing diethyltoluamide (DEET) when outdoors -recommended concentrations are 20% - 50% for adults and 20% - 30% for children over 2 months old
- avoiding places where mosquitoes are most active, such as swampy areas or places with standing water.
“Most people who get dengue will not develop symptoms. But for those who do, these can include a sudden high fever, intense headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, tiredness, nausea, vomiting and a fine rash, which may be itchy and usually begins on the extremities, but spares the palms and soles of the feet,” Dr Reid says.
Many people infected with dengue will only have mild symptoms, but a small number may get severe dengue and need hospital care.Get medical advice quickly if you have dengue symptoms while travelling.
If you feel sick in the first 3 weeks after you return home from a country that has dengue, seek advice from your healthcare provider or call Healthline for free on 0800 611 116. Tell them about your symptoms and recent travel.
For more information about dengue fever visit:
For advice on visiting regions overseas with dengue visit:
Dengue fever outbreak in the Pacific — SafeTravelexternal link