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Solomon Islands + 2 more

Health specialists to help Solomons dengue fight

Posted 15 April 2013, 7:23 AEST

A team of health specialists from Australia and Fiji has arrived in Solomon Islands to tackle an outbreak of dengue fever.

Since the first case was reported four months ago, the virus has continued to spread quickly.

Three people have died and there are at least 2,500 suspected cases of dengue fever, mostly in the capital Honiara.

However Dr Yvan Souarès, who manages the Health Protection program at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, says the virus could easily spread to other regions.

"Population movements between the capital city and the various provinces are of course are very important in countries like the Solomon Islands and especially of course you are aware of the tsunami and all the damages that affected the provice of Temotu," he said.

"Currently the public health systems in the Solomons is very stretched out."

The strain of dengue fever is one which hasn't been seen in the Pacific for 30 years.

Dr Souares says it's also never been reported in Solomon Islands.

"You have to exercise some caution in interpreting these facts - because the recording in some countries like the Solomons is not fully reliable," he said.

"Historical data never mention this strain in the Solomons in the past, but that does not mean it do not reach there.

"But...it seems that a lot of the population is not immune to the virus - hence the high number of cases and the spread to a lot of provinces now."

Dr Souares says it's important to reiterate that the current virus in the Solomons is no different to any previous outbreak.

"It's a little bit like influenza virus, which circulates amongst a population...and when it reaches a population which has not seen that virus for a while, the fringe of that population is therefore susceptible to the virus," he said.

"There's no specific harm that's being caused by this virus because of its changes in genetics for example - there's no such thing going on."

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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