Dengue fever has been confirmed in Papua New Guinea.
Health secretary Pascoe Kase said: “Recent testing by the PNG Institute of Medical Research of patients with fever has confirmed the presence of a dengue outbreak in Kiunga, Western Province.
“Also there has been an outbreak of fever illness in Port Moresby since late February and rapid diagnostic tests have identified dengue as the cause.”
But the country’s health boss did not give the confirmed number of people diagnose so far.
Dengue causes fever, headache and body pains, and in some cases low blood pressure or bleeding. Dengue can become quite severe, requiring hospitalisation and in worst cases, lead to the death of the patient.
Kase added that the current wet weather experienced in the country will increase the chances of mosquito-borne diseases.
He advised people to protect themselves by adhering to this basic advice;
• Apply a reliable brand of personal mosquito repellent.
• Wear light coloured clothes which covered exposed parts of the body.
• Sleep under mosquito nets, particularly if sleeping during daylight hours.