15 Jan 2007

460 people affected by dengue fever outbreak in Cook Islands

6:55 pm on 15 January 2007

Hundreds of people in the Cook Islands are reported to have been affected by an outbreak of dengue fever.

Since October, about four hundred and sixty people have so far been affected in Rarotonga, Arorangi and Tupapa .

The director of the clinical services Dr Henry Tikaka, says officials have adopted a wait and see approach.

"It is a cyclical thing. About every two years we have an outbreak of dengue fever and this one is not different. We are just going through the process of the outbreak. We actually peaked in October, there has been a falling in the number of cases in December. In the last couple of weeks, there have been an increase in the number of cases. But we will just wait and see what is in for us in January."

Dr Tikaka says a dengue fever outbreak usually lasts up to six months.