In an update on the dengue fever outbreak in Palau, the Palau Ministry of Health has reported an additional 8 new lab-confirmed cases during the past week.
This brings the outbreak total to 124 since Dec. 1, 2018. There have been no reported deaths attributed to dengue infection during this outbreak.
The outbreak was declared by officials last December after the first ever laboratory confirmation of two cases with dengue serotype-3. This poses a significant concern for public health as the whole population is potentially vulnerable to infection.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. There are four closely related but antigenically different serotypes of the virus that can cause dengue (DEN1, DEN 2, DEN 3, DEN 4).
- Dengue Fever (DF) – marked by an onset of sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and pain in muscles and joints. Some may also have a rash and varying degree of bleeding from various parts of the body (including nose, mouth and gums or skin bruising).Dengue has a wide spectrum of infection outcome (asymptomatic to symptomatic). Symptomatic illness can vary from dengue fever (DF) to the more serious dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).
- Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) – is a more severe form, seen only in a small proportion of those infected. DHF is a stereotypic illness characterized by 3 phases; febrile phase with high continuous fever usually lasting for less than 7 days; critical phase (plasma leaking) lasting 1-2 days usually apparent when fever comes down, leading to shock if not detected and treated early; convalescence phase lasting 2-5 days with improvement of appetite, bradycardia (slow heart rate), convalescent rash (white patches in red background), often accompanied by generalized itching (more intense in palms and soles), and diuresis (increase urine output).
- Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) — Shock syndrome is a dangerous complication of dengue infection and is associated with high mortality. Severe dengue occurs as a result of secondary infection with a different virus serotype. Increased vascular permeability, together with myocardial dysfunction and dehydration, contribute to the development of shock, with resultant multiorgan failure.
Related:
- Madagascar measles epidemic: 105K cases since September
- Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Linked to Christmas Mountain Resort
- Las Vegas: Measles case confirmed, internationally imported
- Ukraine measles outbreak tops 30,000 cases year to date
- Vietnam: Pork tapeworm outbreak affects hundreds of children in Bac Ninh
- Hong Kong investigates measles case
- Philippines vaccination drive: 408K children targeted in W. Visayas
