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Pacific Syndromic Surveillance System Weekly Bulletin / Système de Surveillance Syndromique dans le Pacifique - Bulletin Hebdomadaire: W39 2020 (Sep 21-Sep 27)

Countries
Fiji
+ 22 more
Sources
WHO
Publication date

Alerts :

  • Acute Fever and Rash (AFR): CNMI, Vanuatu, and Samoa

Influenza Like Illness

  • PSSS, EPI -WK 39, Influenza-like Illness (ILI) cases compared with WK 38 ILI cases are as tabulated below for comparison. For added perspective on the figures and trends percentage country sentinel sites reporting for WKs 38 & 39 are also shown.

  • Actual increases in the number of ILI cases is seen in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Niue, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Samoa and Wallis & Futuna.

  • Niue reported the highest number of ILI cases in the year thus far.

  • Though the number of reporting sites increased for Solomon Islands and Vanuatu compared to the past week both countries reported disproportionately higher numbers of ILI cases.

  • When compared, Samoa ILI curve trends at higher levels than the same period in 2019.

  • The reduction of ILI cases were seen in RMI, Fiji, Cook Islands and Tonga.

  • No ILI cases were seen in Pitcairn Island for the week.

  • No reports were available from French Polynesia, New Caledonia, FSM, and Tokelau for the week.

  • For 2020, to date, American Samoa, Guam and Nauru, have not participated in the surveillance.

  • Surveillance figures are not intended to capture all country cases but to describe trends over time and are invaluable when trends rise beyond country baselines and should then trigger alerts and timely actions to characterize actual nature and magnitude of the disease.

COVID -19

  • As of 1 October 2020 a total of 34,273,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed and 1,020,607 (4%) deaths and 25,495,239 (96%) recovered from 215 countries and Territories. Out of this, currently 7,757,154 (99%) mild casesand 66,093 (1%) are serious cases.

  • In Western Pacific Region, there were 614,623 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 13,415 deaths.

  • Pacific Island Countries: COVID-19 situation report as follows:

  • Three (3) indicators are added to increase the sensitivity for COVID-19 detection in the Pacific Syndromic

Surveillance System (PSSS) in EWARS:

  1. SARI

  2. COVID-19 syndromes classified as:

i.Suspected COVID-19

ii.Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children

  • Pacific dashboard COVID-19 can be accessed on https://tinyurl.com/PacificWHOcaselist.

  • On 31 July 2020, the Director-General declared that the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to constitute a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) at the fourth meeting of the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) on COVID-19. Please refer the link for details

  • WHO Public Health surveillance for COVID-19, interim guidelines can be found here

Dengue

  • An ongoing dengue serotype-3 outbreak (week 71) continues in the Republic of Marshall Islands, beginning in May 2019 in Ebeye and transmitted through to Majuro. As of 29 September 2020, there were 3,668 dengue-like cases of which 1,780 were laboratory confirmed. Two deaths have been reported since June 2019. 32 new dengue-like cases were seen in the last 7 days, 25 of which were in Majuro, 1 in Mili, 1 in Ebeye and another 5 in Jaluit. Majority of the cases are under 18 years of age. An overall attack rate reported was 69/1000. MOH is closely monitoring the dengue situation through active surveillance. [Source: RMI Dengue outbreak Situation Report Sep 29, 2020]

Diphtheria

  • As of 21 September 2020, a total of 198 diphtheria cases including 4 deaths have been reported in Viet Nam in 2020. National health authorities emphasized the importance of vaccine coverage in remote, disadvantaged communities. (Source)