Dengue continues to spread in French Polynesia

12:00 pm on 30 October 2019

Dengue type 2 continues to spread in French Polynesia, with more than 360 new cases registered in the past two weeks.

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Photo: 123RF

Figures show that almost 200 of the new patients are under the age of 20.

Eleven people are in hospital care as the epidemic has spread across all archipelagoes.

Almost 1700 people have been infected since the beginning of the year.

Residents are being urged to eliminate the insects' breeding sites amid concern that the wet season will worsen the problem.

The last dengue type 2 epidemic to hit French Polynesia was about 20 years ago, which means about half the population is at risk of getting infected.

The current dengue strain was brought to Tahiti by a traveller from New Caledonia.

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