Dengue fever on the rise in American Samoa

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-04 10:19

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa -- Health officials in American Samoa say there were more confirmed cases of dengue fever reported in the US territory in September than in all of 2007.

The Department of Health says the 115 cases of the mosquito-borne disease brought the total number so far this year to 162, compared with 109 last year. One person, a 10-year-old boy, died of the disease this year.

The department is urging residents to clean areas where mosquitoes breed.

High fever, headaches and nausea are common symptoms, and they often disappear if the disease is caught in time. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, death is rare.

American Samoa is located 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) south of Hawaii.