Dengue Outbreaks Widen Across Asia-Pacific and Hawaii

Dengue fever outbreaks are intensifying across the Asia-Pacific and beyond, with Hawaii confirming 11 travel-related cases in 2025, all linked to travelers from dengue-endemic areas and no established local transmission. Samoa is experiencing its largest outbreak since 2016, with over 5,600 clinically diagnosed cases, at least four confirmed child deaths, resulting in school closures and receiving international aid from New Zealand. Tonga, the Cook Islands, and Fiji have also declared recent dengue outbreaks. In South Asia, Bangladesh has reported over 22,000 cases and 92 deaths this year, while India's Ernakulam district in Kerala has logged more than 670 cases and two deaths since mid-July. The Philippines' Lapu-Lapu City has seen a 35% rise in cases in 2025, with decreased mortality attributed to effective preventive measures. Health authorities emphasize mosquito control, public awareness, and environmental sanitation to address these ongoing outbreaks.