The United States of America Army Reserves are assisting Samoa’s health sector to combat the chikungunya epidemic sweeping the country.
This help comes as the Ministry of Health’s C.E.O, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri reports that 269 cases of the virus have been detected.
“(The) U.S. Army Reserve (U.S.A.R.) (is) assisting with clinical and port health response,” he said. “(They) are based at Faleolo Health Centre.”
The U.S. Embassy yesterday advised that (U.S.A.R.) medical team that is here to support Samoa for the duration of the Small Island Developing States (S.I.D.S.) conference and is conducting two days of ‘first responder’ training to the hundreds of Red Cross volunteers who will be helping the event.
A spokesperson for the Embassy says that U.S.A.R. teams will be paired with the National Health Service at five locations from August 28 to September 4 at the U.N. S.I.D.S. venue, the Motootua Hospital, and the Faleolo, Poutasi, and Lufilufi clinics.
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In a Public Health release the Director General (D.G.) further reported 21 out of 59 specimens tested positive for the virus, reconfirming the outbreak of Chikungunya.
He said the samples had undergone polymerase chain reaction (P.C.R.) testing at the Institute Louis Malarde (I.L.M.) in Tahiti, and had returned a 36 per cent positive rate.
“It is possible that many more maybe positive for Chikungunya virus as Immunoglobulin (IgM) testing is not done at this lab, but we know that this may rise after the acute five day phase of the disease,” he said.
“The two deceased related cases earlier reported, were both confirmed negative to Chikungunya, dengue and leptospirosis at I.L.M. Lab.”
Leausa said the majority of the patients who had presented with the virus were female (see Figure 2), and the age groups most affected by the virus were under 35 years of age.
“The most affected areas are the densely populated Apia Urban Area (A.U.A.),” he said.
“(The) attack rate for Samoa is 1.3 per 1,000 (people).”
According to the World Health Organisation (W.H.O), an attack rate is defined as the proportion of those who became ill after a specified exposure.
Looking now to the Public Health measures that have been put in place by the M.O.H, Leausa said in regards to source reduction, there was an ongoing clean up and destruction of mosquito breeding sites
“(There is) ongoing peri-focal spraying of Ports of Entry, hospitals, schools, S.I.D.S. compound and areas, Hotels and Accommodations, A.U.A. and regions with high attack rates,” he said.
“(Also, there was a) Government National Mass Clean-up day (last) Friday 22 August, spearheaded by C.E.O.s and Ministers of Ministry of Health, Ministry of Women Community and Social Development, Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Police and Prisons with the support of the Samoa Parliamentarian Advocacy Group for Healthy Living.”
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, peri-focal spraying is the spraying insecticide inside of a mosquito breeding focus and all-around its proximities or immediate surroundings.
The D.G. said his Ministry was also focussing on enhanced boarder control.
“(With) Ships and Aircraft spraying and health travel restriction advice,” he said.
“Airport and Falelolo quarantine and isolation areas (are) in place (also).”
Leausa said in addition to this, there was a multimedia campaign with health promotional messages on source reduction and educational massages on Chikungunya and a multi-sectoral and stakeholder collaborations.
He said that a Mass Gathering Surveillance System with Web-based surveillance was also in place.
“(With) increased surveillance sites in A.U.A. and North West Upolu,” said Leausa.
“(There is also an) increased number of syndromes in the syndromic surveillance system.
“(And a) daily reporting and response system in place.”
The D.G. said training was being implemented for staff on data collection, entry and outbreak investigation and clinical and Public Health personnel training on Chikungunya and for risk communication.
He said surge capacity from the Pacific Region and U.S.A. for surveillance, control and response, for the S.I.D.S. event and Chikungunya outbreak was also in place.
“W.H.O. and S.P.C. (Secretariat of the Pacific Community) specialists (are) assisting with Clinical, Risk Communications and Public Health response,” said Leausa.
“Laboratory network and stockpiling for urgent L2/L3 tests in place and assisted by W.H.O. and S.P.C.”
In regards to clinical and Public Health preparations and planning Leausa said the Main Hospital had isolation rooms and was stockpiling personal protection equipment and medications.
He said there was also on-going reports and updates from enhanced surveillance and Public Health events through information and communiqué for Chikungunya and the current Ebola outbreak afflicting Western Africa.
In addition to this there would be Chickungunya outbreak updates and situations reports. For more information please contact the M.O.H. on 68100.
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