A fifth child has died from dengue fever in Samoa. The latest fatality, a two year old from Faleolo, is the brother of a nine year old who died from the disease earlier last week.
With five confirmed dengue related fatalities, concerns are growing about the virus’s spread in rural communities such as Mulifanua.
Samoa has recorded a total of 5,670 clinically diagnosed dengue fever cases since January this year with approximately 3,969 infections occurring in children under the age of 15.
Health authorities continue to urge the public to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms of dengue fever appear.
All schools are on lockdown as government intensifies efforts to manage the outbreak with new cases continuing to emerge across Upolu and Savai’i.
In the past week alone, 1,446 new clinical cases were reported, including 342 confirmed through laboratory testing.
