Dengue was first reported in early October in the archipelago of some 432,000 inhabitants, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
An inter-ministerial committee headed by the Prime Minister is working to contain the spread of the disease, educating communities on prevention and taking measures to control mosquitoes.
The Health Ministry “calls on the population and health institutions to increase efforts to eliminate breeding grounds”, according to a statement on a government website.
Dengue fever is a sudden onset illness with symptoms similar to those of malaria – headache, fever, exhaustion and severe joint and muscle pain. Global incidence of dengue has increased dramatically in recent decades, with about two-fifths of the world’s population now at risk, according to WHO.
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