Samoa records uptick in fevers and rashes in young children
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Department of Health has yet to respond to queries on the outbreaks of illnesses confirmed in neighboring Samoa that include fever and rashes affecting children ages 0 to 4.
This is aside from the influenza and the COVID-19 currently spreading in Samoa and American Samoa.
Emails to Director of Health, Motusa Tuileama Nua, for comments were not answered, but over the weekend, the Samoa Ministry of Health confirmed surveillance of hospital visits in the past month have recorded an increasing number of children ages 0 to 4 with acute fever and rash.
“These symptoms [are] consistent with diseases including chicken pox and hand-foot-mouth disease [and] the Ministry of Health is continuing to investigate these cases.”
The statement says these diseases are caused by viruses and like chickenpox they are very contagious and spread easily among children and babies and are common in children under 5 years old but anyone can get it.
“The virus can spread to others through person to person contact with respiratory droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, contact with open sores or skin of an infected person's rash or contact with feces of an infected person.
The symptoms of chicken pox include fever, rash, a blistering that covers the whole body that will last five to 10 days, headaches, muscle aches, and loss of appetite. Pneumonia may result as a complication of prolonged cases, as well as general body weakness. People with chicken pox can spread the disease to others from two days before the rash appears until all sores are crusted and dried up, according to the Samoa Ministry of Health.
For the head-foot-and-mouth disease children often get a fever and other flu like symptoms 3 to 5 days after they catch the virus.
“People with hand foot and mouth disease are surely contagious during the first week that they are sick,” the Ministry reported.
The virus can spread to others for days or weeks after symptoms go away, even if they have no symptoms at all.
The Samoa Ministry of Health is encouraging the public to take key prevention measures to control the transmission. Practice proper hygiene especially in public areas — wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer and disinfect contaminated surfaces. Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth before washing your hands and especially avoid close contact with sick people and avoid large gatherings.