“There is no good way to predict, but it looks like we are on the downside of the outbreak,” said U.S. Centers for Disease Control Dr. Tyler Sharp on Thursday. He said the peak number of cases found was on October 31 for Majuro, and the number of patients coming to Majuro Hospital for treatment has continued to decline since.
But the concern now has shifted to the spread of dengue to Ebeye Island, the overcrowded urban center next to the Kwajalein missile testing range, and two outer islands. Dengue fever cases were confirmed on Ebeye and Utrik Atoll as of Wednesday this week, though only one case has been confirmed in each island.
No additional cases of dengue have been confirmed on Arno Atoll beyond the three cases reported last week, health officials said.
Dr. Sharp, who has headed a CDC team that has been in the Marshall Islands for two weeks assisting the Ministry of Health respond to the dengue fever problem, said new cases continue to show up at Majuro Hospital. “We expect it will last a few more weeks,” Sharp said.
A total of 751 people with dengue-type symptoms have been checked at Majuro Hospital through Wednesday this week, with 391 confirmed as having dengue fever, said Health Secretary Justina Langidrik.
Ministry of Public Health teams have been focused on going house-to-house in Majuro to provide information about dengue fever and how to prevent it. Now they are focusing on the outer islands.
