Tonga’s Health Ministry confirms two dengue deaths

Two deaths have been confirmed in Tonga's dengue outbreak. Photo / Tonga Ministry of Health

• Tonga’s Health Minister Dr Ana ‘Akau-ola confirmed a 19-year-old and a 7-month-old died of dengue fever.
• The kingdom declared a dengue outbreak in February, with 588 confirmed cases reported by April 28.
• ‘Akau-ola suspects dengue type three may be circulating, in addition to type two.

By Susana Suisuiki and Christina Persico of RNZ

Tonga’s Health Minister Dr Ana ‘Akau-ola has confirmed a 19-year-old and a 7-month-old have died of dengue fever.

The kingdom declared a dengue outbreak in February.

‘Akau-ola told Pacific Waves type two dengue fever has been the most common in diagnosed patients in Tonga, but she suspects there is a different strain.

“The only dengue serotype that we have in Tonga that we know of at present is dengue type two. But after these two deaths, I asked the staff to please check again with the newly diagnosed dengue fever patients, particularly the ones that I admitted to the hospital to get that check-up as well,” she said.

“Because we may also have dengue type three circulating around because that’s what’s happening in Fiji at the moment, they have dengue two and three.”

Parts of Fiji are under a dengue outbreak, while Samoa declared one on April 18. A high school student in Fiji and a 12-year-old Samoan boy have died of the disease.

The Cook Islands has confirmed four cases this month.

‘Akau-ola said they can test for dengue itself in Tonga, but tests to determine the serotype are sent to New Zealand.

The situation report from April 28 showed 588 confirmed cases in the kingdom.

But ‘Akau-ola said there are likely to be more cases than those officially recorded.

“We still see people coming in with dengue-like syndrome because of high fever, lethargy, no decreased appetite, a bit of dizziness, body ache, headache, particularly behind the eyes.

“So we, even though their testing was negative, we still put it down as dengue-like fever. So that number is much more than the 588 positive cases that we have reported.”