Don’t come here: Outer islands target dengue
By Sally Hosking and Feona Mo’ardi Good

AT LEAST two groups going to the Outer Islands have been forced to abandon their trips – because of the dengue fever outbreak.
Outer island councils are worried that the dengue on Aitutaki and Rarotonga could be spread to their islands through large groups of visitors. They have told the groups to postpone their trips.
Dengue, a flu-like disease which can in some cases be fatal, is spread by the bite of an Aedes mosquito. The mosquito transmits the disease by biting an infected person and then biting someone else.
There is speculation the current outbreak here was caused by dengue being brought by people coming from French Polynesia, where dengue is a continuing problem.
Public health officials say the number of cases on Rarotonga especially is increasing despite a continuing public awareness campaign and intensive anti-dengue efforts. These have included rubbish clean ups to eliminate places where mosquitoes can breed.
The latest known incident of a group being stopped from traveling to an outer island came in Aitutaki.
The Tautu Christian Youth Group, which was scheduled to leave for Mangaia on the 9th October, was stopped by the Mangaia Island Council and Orometua.
FREE
This was to prevent any chances that they may spread the disease on Mangaia, which was free of it.
William Ruarangi, chairman of the Tautu Christian Youth Group, said 32 members were supposed to have gone for a week-long conference. This has now been rescheduled for some time during November, he said.
A special report on dengue is in our Public Health Department liftout beginning on page 7 of this Cook Islands Times.

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