Public Health Director Dr. Kennar Briand went on national radio Friday night to warn the public in this north Pacific country about the outbreak and preventive measures that can be taken to prevent this mosquito-borne illness.
Dengue can cause fever as high as 105 degrees, a measles-like skin rash, bleeding, headaches, fatigue, joint aches and vomiting.
Public Health officials said they had alerted islands neighboring the Marshall Islands to the outbreak. Dengue has plagued many islands in the region, but this is a first for Majuro.
The three patients with dengue range in age from 10 to 24, and are from different parts of this 30-mile long necklace of low-lying coral islands.
“All three patients were sick enough to warrant hospital admission and two of the cases developed bleeding from nose and skin rash,” said Briand.
Test confirmed that all three have had long-term exposure to dengue. The tests “suggest that dengue has been around in Majuro for quite some time,” he added, though laboratory tests have only just confirmed the diagnosis.
Ministry of Health and Environmental Protection Authority officials met Friday to discuss strategies for reducing the threat of additional infections.
Majuro has experienced significant rainfall in September and October, which may have produced additional mosquito breeding grounds because of large volumes of standing water.
