24 Sep 2010

Fresh Fiji typhoid outbreak affects 400

1:02 pm on 24 September 2010

Fiji's national advisor on communicable disease says the country is experiencing a fresh outbreak of typhoid following an initial alert at the beginning of the year.

The FijiLive website reports Dr Eric Rafai as saying 400 new cases have been recorded across the country.

Typhoid is endemic in Fiji but Dr Rafai says one reason for the higher figures is that the health ministry's surveillance and public awareness campaign against typhoid fever had increased, resulting in more cases being reported.

The disease spreads through contaminated food or water and occasionally through direct contact with an infected person.

The Health Ministry says people need to improve their personal hygiene and to boil all drinking water.