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Epidemic and emerging disease alerts in the Pacific as of 11 July 2023

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Highlights/updates since the last map was sent on PacNet on 04 July 2023:

Leptospirosis

  • Fiji: As of 04 July 2023, a leptospirosis outbreak continues in Kadavu. Since the beginning of the year, 36 cases and one death have been reported. A significant portion of cases are in children under 18 years old. Source: Rat control vital to stop leptospirosis – FBC News accessed on 11 July 2023.

Typhoid Fever

  • Fiji: As of 04 July 2023, a mass gathering on April 26th in Wainiyavu Village in Namosi Province resulted in an outbreak of Typhoid. The Ministry of Health confirms that between May and June, 11 cases were recorded in five villages. This includes seven cases in Wainiyavu, while Burotu, Wainimakutu, Wailoaloa, and Nabukavesi, recorded one case each.* – *Source: Mass Gathering leads to typhoid outbreak – FBC News accessed on 11 July 2023.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19):

As of 06 July 2023, for the Western Pacific region, the number of newly reported 28-day cases and deaths decreased by 36% and 41% respectively, compared to the previous 28-day period. Source: Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 6 July 2023 (who.int) and COVID-19 Situation in WHO- Western Pacific Region dashboard (COVID-19 Situation in WHO- Western Pacific Region dashboard accessed on 11 July 2023.

With newly reported COVID-19 cases and deaths returned to baseline levels in the PICTs, in line with our Epidemic Intelligence System policy for COVID-19 alerts, all COVID-19 alerts will be removed at this time.

Alerts for COVID-19 will be added if outbreaks are declared by PICTs, if cases increase above normal thresholds or if the health system is unable to address the increase in cases.

Outside of the Pacific

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19):

Other information:

Measles

  • Australia: As of 30 June 2023, a case of measles was identified in a returned overseas traveller. The case attended multiple exposure sites in Melbourne between Friday 23 and Sunday 25 June 2023 while infectious. – Source: New measles case in Victoria | health.vic.gov.au accessed on 11 July 2023.
  • Japan: As of 03 July 2023, Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) reports 18 measles cases this year through 21 June 2023. This is the most cases reported in Japan since the 2019 outbreak. – Source: meas23-25 (niid.go.jp) accessed on 11 July 2023.

Meningococcal Meningitis

  • Australia: As of 10 July 2023, a case of invasive meningococcal disease was notified in a 73-year-old female from metropolitan Adelaide. The strain has been identified as serotype B. South Australia Health identified multiple people who had contact with the patient, of whom six people have been directed to receive clearance antibiotics. There have been twelve cases of invasive meningococcal disease reported in South Australia this year, compared to six cases recorded by the same time last year. Of the twelve cases reported so far this year, eleven have been serogroup B and one has been serogroup W.– Source: Meningococcal case 10 July 2023 | SA Health accessed on 11 July 2023.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus

  • American Samoa: As of 03 July 2023, the daycare centres closure has been extended from June 27th - July 11th, 2023 to control the transmission of this moderate to severe respiratory illness affecting mostly vulnerable children under 2 years of age and prevent a further upward surge in cases. Approximately 38% of the RSV cases in the last 4 days on average (an increase from 30% in the previous 4-day average) are still requiring intensive care treatment. There is a notably coinfected children sick with RSV and Covid-19 and other respiratory infections which is putting them at a higher chance of death. – Source: RSV Situational Report – ASG Update (SitRep #14 – 07/03/2023).

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