The Ministry of Health also confirmed the first case from an outer island, and said there are suspected cases at Kwajalein, the second largest urban center in the country.
Four medical officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization flew into Majuro earlier this week to assist with diagnosis and treatment of cases.
U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Douglas Carey said most of the members of the team are epidemiologists who are working to help the Ministry of Health identify the type of dengue that is occurring in the Marshall Islands in the current outbreak. There are four kinds. Pinpointing the type will aid in treatment of people with the illness, Carey said.
Majuro Hospital ran out of dengue test kits last weekend, but the CDC brought in 600 and the National Taipei Hospital in Taiwan flew in another 300 to help diagnosis this week.
Ministry of Health Assistant Secretary for Primary Health Care Mailynn Konelios-Langinlur said most of the cases of dengue seen to date have been mild, though 10 people remained in hospital as of Wednesday.
In response to an emergency declaration by the government last Friday, residents on Majuro and Kwajalein launched big cleanups last weekend and continuing this week. “This is the first line of defense against dengue-carrying mosquitoes,” said Konelios-Langinlur. “It is this type of active community involvement in cleaning and removing containers and tires that hold stagnant water” that will lead to the full eradication of the disease-spreading mosquito, she said.
Konelios-Langinlur praised community involvement in clean ups. “We need to continue cleaning and removing stagnant water,” she said, cautioning that people can still get re-infected with dengue and the threat of dengue is still present.
