Suva, Fiji — Fiji has detected the XBB.1.5 variant of COVID-19.

Due to this, the Health Ministry states it is ready to review some public health border measures

The sub-variant also known as Kraken is an offshoot of the globally dominant Omicron COVID variant and is thought to be shown in cold-like symptoms.

Kraken was descended from the Omicron XBB subvariant, itself a cross between two earlier strains: BA.2.75 and BA.2.10.1.

The World Health Organization said it has been detected in at least 31 other countries.

Medical Superintendent Dr Jemesa Tudravu told FBC news that the variant has high transmissibility.

"It is a known variant that has high transmissibility and so we are also undertaking our monitoring of variants and testing of other variants for the positive cases that may have come through."

Tudravu said he knows there are other variants in the community which are equally transmissible, which the Health Ministry is currently tracking.