Facilitator - WHO Western Pacific Region - World Health Organization

Module 2: Epidemiology of dengue
SESSION 2.2 DENGUE IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGION
SLIDES 4 & 5: Dengue in the Western Pacific Region
•Facilitator
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explains:
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•Dengue has emerged as a serious public health problem in the Western Pacific Region.
•Since
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the last major pandemic in 1998, epidemics have recurred in much of the area.
•All four dengue virus serotypes are present in the Region (DEN 1, DEN 2, DEN 3, DEN 4).
•Cambodia and the Philippines report large numbers of children affected with the dengue virus
•(up to 75% of cases are children younger than 15 years old).
•Dengue occurs throughout the year, but rates increase 1–2 months after the onset of the rainy
•
season in June.
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•Shipments of tyres and tourism have been implicated for the emergence in this Region.
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•Lack of reporting remains an important challenge in dengue prevention and control.
•Overall case management has improved in the Western Pacific Region, leading to a decrease
•
in case fatality rates.
•Facilitator provides an overview of reported cases from the 37 countries and areas that make
up the Western Pacific Region:
Between 2000 and 2010, 1 779 529 cases were reported in Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines and
Viet Nam – the four countries in the Western Pacific Region with the highest numbers of cases and
deaths. The combined death toll for these four countries was 7235. Compared with other countries in
the Region, the number of cases and deaths were the highest in the Philippines in 2010 (135 355 cases
and 793 deaths). Overall, case management has improved in the Western Pacific Region, leading to a
decrease in case fatality rates.
Dengue has spread throughout the Pacific. Between 2000 and 2010, the six most affected Pacific island
countries and areas were New Caledonia (16 659 cases), French Polynesia (8442 cases), Cook Islands
(3991 cases), Kiribati (2982 cases), American Samoa (2512 cases) and Palau (2493 cases). There were 44
deaths in the six island countries.
New Caledonia and French Polynesia experienced severe dengue outbreaks in 2009, with a total of
11 089 cases.
Historically, dengue has been reported predominantly among urban and peri-urban populations
where high population density facilitates transmission. However, evidence from recent outbreaks, as
seen in Cambodia in 2007, suggests that they are now occurring in rural areas.
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