Countries: World, Australia, New Caledonia (France), New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, United States of America, Vanuatu Source: Pacific Community Please refer to the attached Map. Highlights/updates since the last map was sent…
What the source says
Countries: World, Australia, New Caledonia (France), New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, United States of America, Vanuatu
Source: Pacific Community
Please refer to the attached Map.
Highlights/updates since the last map was sent on PacNet on 18 August 2026:
Dengue
• American Samoa: As of 11 August 2026, a cumulative total of 1,044 laboratory-confirmed dengue cases has been recorded since the start of the outbreak. Weekly counts remain low, two cases in EpiWeek 30, two in EpiWeek 31 and three in EpiWeek 32. Monthly counts have declined continuously since the January 2026 peak of about 175 cases. Cases concentrate in the 11–15 and 16–20-year age groups. The blue alert for dengue (DENV-1 & DENV-2) remains in effect. – Source: American Samoa Department of Health, Dengue Response Incident Command Briefing, 13 August 2026, shared with the PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on the 20 August 2026.
• Marshall Islands: On 21 August 2026, the Ministry of Health and Human Services formally declared an active dengue fever outbreak in Majuro Atoll. The event was first identified on 15 August through routine dengue-like illness surveillance and escalated to a full outbreak response. As of 20 August, 23 people had been tested, 8 confirmed positive and 15 negative, with no deaths. Two of the initial positive samples were sent to the Hawaii State Laboratories Division for serotyping and results are pending. Cases cluster in the 20–29-year age group. The response is coordinated under the Ministry's EpiNet framework with the National Disaster Council and covers active case finding, vector control, laboratory referral and public health messaging. Larvicide was applied on 18 August around the first four patients' residences in Uliga and Alwal, where inadequately sealed water catchments and a nearby landfill were identified as breeding risks. A red alert for dengue (DENV-?) is issued for the Marshall Islands. – Sources: RMI Ministry of Health and Human Services press release, 21 August 2026 – Official Facebook page, and Dengue-Like Illness in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands – Official Facebook page accessed on 25 August 2026.
• New Caledonia: On 16 August 2026, the Direction des Affaires sanitaires et sociales declared the dengue epidemic over. Since 1st January 2026, 2,235 dengue cases have been reported, including 2,028 confirmed locally acquired. Eighty patients were hospitalised and four died, one co-infected with leptospirosis and three with comorbidities. Serotype 1 (DENV-1) remained the only serotype identified throughout. The territory entered the epidemic phase on 26 March 2026 (EpiWeek 13) and new cases have declined steadily since EpiWeek 20. The epidemic mainly spared Greater Nouméa, where the World Mosquito Program has established the bacterium Wolbachia in 80% of mosquitoes. Low-level circulation persists and vigilance is maintained. The dengue (DENV-1) alert for New Caledonia is removed. – Sources: Bilan épidémiologique – fin de l'épidémie de dengue, 16 August 2026 shared with the PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point 21 August 2026 and La dengue | Direction des Affaires Sanitaires et Sociales de Nouvelle-Calédonie accessed on 25 August 2026.
• Samoa: In EpiWeek 32 (3–9 August 2026), 22 new dengue cases were reported, an increase of 47% on the previous week. Three were laboratory-confirmed, a 50% decrease in confirmed cases. No new hospital admissions, no intensive care admissions and no deaths were reported. Since 1st January 2025, a cumulative total of 20,157 clinically diagnosed and 5,536 laboratory-confirmed cases has been reported, with nine dengue-related deaths. Both serotype 1 (DENV-1, 52%) and serotype 2 (DENV-2, 48%) continue to circulate, 73% of cases are aged under 15 years and 92% are on Upolu. The blue alert for dengue (DENV-1 & DENV-2) remains in effect. – Source: Dengue Fever Outbreak Situation Report in Samoa, EpiWeek 32, Issue No. 69 shared with the PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on the 21 August 2026.
• Vanuatu: The dengue outbreak on South-West Efate Island, Shefa Province, remains active. In EpiWeek 33 (10–16 August 2026), 15 new laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, the highest weekly count of the outbreak, bringing the cumulative total to 91 confirmed cases. Weekly counts have stayed above the outbreak threshold of four cases per week since EpiWeek 24. Dengue-like illness reports from the six Shefa sentinel sites also peaked, at 31 cases. Fourteen dengue-related hospitalisations (15%) have been reported to date. All patients have recovered and been discharged. No severe dengue cases or deaths have been reported. Between EpiWeeks 14 and 33, 383 samples were tested with an overall positivity rate of 20%. DENV-1 is the only confirmed serotype. Cases are spread across Area Councils on Efate: Erakor 30%, Port Vila 23%, Eratap 21% and Pango 20%. Among the confirmed cases, 73% are people under 26 years, with the highest burden in children aged 5–15 (45%). While some initial cases reported recent travel to Fiji, most recent cases have no travel history and are linked to affected areas within Efate. The red alert for dengue (DENV-1) remains in effect. – Source: Dengue Outbreak Situation Report #10, South-West Efate Island, Shefa Province, Vanuatu National Surveillance Unit shared with the PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on the 21 August 2026.
• Wallis and Futuna: The Agence de Santé reports that the dengue epidemic is still progressing. As of 21 August 2026, 2 new confirmed cases were recorded in Futuna, bringing the territory to 70 confirmed or probable cases since the epidemic began progressing in EpiWeek 26. Transmission is currently concentrated in Futuna, where dengue-like syndromes are also increasing; Wallis reported no new confirmed case this week. DENV-1 remains the only circulating serotype. The public health response is applied case by case: destruction of larval breeding sites around the home of every case, personal protection with repellents issued to all cases, and peri-focal mosquito control around the households of confirmed cases. The red alert for dengue (DENV-1) remains in effect. – Source: Agence de Santé de Wallis et Futuna, weekly epidemiological update for EpiWeek 33, shared with the PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal Point on 25 August 2026.
Measles and rubella
• Australia: The Northern Territory (NT) Centre for Disease Control issued a health alert to all clinicians on 17 August 2026, warning of an increased risk of measles in the Territory because of outbreaks interstate and overseas. According to the NT health alert, Australia has recorded 117 measles cases in 2026 year to date, well above the five-year national annual mean of 35.6, and most were acquired overseas. Clinicians are asked to consider measles in any patient presenting with fever and rash, particularly after travel in the previous 18 days, and to collect urine, throat and nose samples for PCR testing. The red alert for measles remains in effect for Australia. – Sources: Northern Territory Centre for Disease Control measles health alert, 17 August 2026 and Dashboard · NINDSS Portal accessed on 25 August 2026.
• Papua New Guinea: The National Department of Health issued Situation Report #2 on the measles and rubella outbreak on 19 August 2026. Three laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been recorded to date: East Sepik (2) and New Ireland (1). Together with seven confirmed rubella cases in New Ireland (4), Madang (2) and East Sepik (1). There have been no hospitalisations and no deaths. Since January 2026, 209 acute fever and rash cases have been reported with samples collected from 166. Of the collected samples 95 were negative and 64 remain pending laboratory testing. Outbreak response immunisation has vaccinated 1,816 children (77%) in the affected Kairiru Island area of East Sepik and has expanded to the whole of Wewak District. Routine coverage remains low, leaving approximately 660,000 children unprotected against measles, nearly two annual birth cohorts. The red alert for measles and rubella remains in effect. – Source: Measles and Rubella Outbreak Situation Report #2, Papua New Guinea National Department of Health, endorsed 19 August 2026, shared with the PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on the 20 August 2026.
Pertussis/Whooping cough
• Guam: The Department of Public Health and Social Services has confirmed that the pertussis outbreak in Guam was declared over in June 2026. To address questions and provide further context on Guam's pertussis situation, DPHSS has published an epidemiological series outlining the available evidence and public health interpretation. As of 19 August 2026 the territory has recorded 19 pertussis cases in 2026, including one new laboratory-confirmed case that week, six previously hospitalised cases and three with an identified epidemiological link. DPHSS expects a few further sporadic cases over the remainder of the year. The red alert for pertussis in Guam is removed. – Sources: Guam DPHSS correspondence with the PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point, 19 August 2026, Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services – Official Facebook page and Risk to Guam: an epi series, Guam DPHSS accessed on 25 August 2026.
• New Zealand: Pertussis activity in New Zealand continues as part of the ongoing national epidemic declared in November 2024. In the surveillance week ending 14 August 2026, 50 cases were notified, remaining stable compared with the 48 cases reported in the previous week (ending 07 August 2026), bringing the cumulative total for 2026 to 1,237 cases as of 14 August 2026. Cases remain concentrated in the 5–14 year and 1–4-year age groups, which also account for most hospitalisations. The blue alert for pertussis remains in effect. – Source: Pertussis dashboard, PHF Science accessed on 25 August 2026.
Respiratory diseases
• New Zealand: The weekly all-cause hospitalisation rate for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in the Auckland region increased markedly in the week ending 16 August 2026 and entered the VERY HIGH activity band for the first time in 2026. The rate is the highest recorded in any week from 2015 to 2025. Sentinel hospital SARI activity identified 177 SARI admissions that week against 125 the previous week. The influenza-positive SARI hospitalisation rate is also in the very high band, its highest since the June 2022 peak. Influenza test positivity reached 53.4% in sentinel general practice samples and 42.1% in SARI samples, with 67 influenza detections in SARI. Influenza A(H3N2) Subclade K is the predominant circulating virus. Thirty-one respiratory illness outbreaks were reported nationally, 21 of them in aged residential care. Rates rose across all age groups and all ethnic groups, children aged 0–4 have the highest rate, and Māori and Pacific people higher rates than other groups. SARS-CoV-2 activity remains low and stable. A red alert for influenza (Inf-A) is issued for New Zealand. – Sources: New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science (PHF Science) Acute Respiratory Illness Infections dashboard and Influenza in New Zealand – BEACON report 22 August 2026 accessed on 25 August 2026.
Other Information:
COVID-19
• Palau: The Ministry of Health and Human Services continues to respond to an increase in respiratory disease. As of 21 August 2026, a cumulative total of 183 COVID-19 cases has been reported since 1st January 2026, up from 162 as of 14 August (21 cases in one week) with 14 hospital admissions and 12 discharges. Palau reported in their weekly syndromic and laboratory surveillance report continued COVID-19 activity in EpiWeek 34 (17-23 August 2026), with 23 SARS-CoV-2 detections among 51 respiratory specimens tested. Overall respiratory test positivity reached 55%, the highest weekly level recorded in 2026, with SARS-CoV-2 accounting for 82% (23/28) of all positive detections. Although fewer specimens were tested compared with EpiWeek 33 (51 vs 93), the positivity rate increased. Rhinovirus/enterovirus (4 detections) was the only other pathogen identified, while no RSV was detected. Cumulative SARS-CoV-2 detections for 2026 reached 177. – Sources: Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services situation updates for tuberculosis, pertussis and COVID-19, 21 August 2026 accessed on 25 August 2026 and Ministry of Health and Human Services syndromic surveillance report, 2026 EpiWeek 34, dated 24 August 2026 shared with the PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on 24 August 2026.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
• Australia: On 23 August 2026, Australia confirmed its first H5N1 detection in a mammal: a long-nosed fur seal found dead with no signs of injury at Beachport, South Australia, about 310 km south of Adelaide. The state's fur seal population is estimated at 100,000. South Australia's chief veterinary officer noted that seals are at high risk because they live very near wild birds on rocky coastal outcrops. The death does not appear associated with other sick or dead marine mammals. As of 23 August, Australia had recorded 309 confirmed H5 positive events across six states: South Australia 194, Victoria 86, New South Wales 11, Western Australia 10, Tasmania 7 and Queensland 1. Three mass mortality events involving more than 1,000 crested terns were identified on remote offshore islands in South Australia, described by the state Premier as a significant escalation, and 28 dead penguins were found on King Island, Tasmania. Victoria is vaccinating little penguins on Phillip Island and New South Wales is planning vaccination of priority captive native species. H5N1 has not been detected in Australian poultry or livestock. These developments continue to highlight the risk of H5N1 introduction to the Pacific region through migratory seabirds. – Sources: Expanding HPAI (H5N1) epizootic in Australia- BEACON report 21 August 2026First confirmed HPAI (H5N1) infection in a long-nosed fur seal in South Australia – BEACON report 23 August 2026 and Bird flu (avian influenza) – DAFF accessed on 25 August 2026.
• New Zealand: On 21st August 2026, the Ministry for Primary Industries confirmed H5N1 avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b in a single northern giant petrel found dead on a remote beach at Cape Palliser in the Wairarapa. This is the third confirmed H5 detection in New Zealand, all three in the Wellington region and all in individual wild birds. There have been no mass mortality events and no detections in poultry. Samples reached the Animal Health Laboratory on 14 August and required several rounds of testing because of the low viral load. MPI staff carried out precautionary checks along the Wairarapa coastline the following day. The chief veterinary officer assesses the risk to human health as low and states that chicken and eggs remain safe to eat. – Source: New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries media releases of 21 and 22 August 2026 see About bird flu and the risk to New Zealand, MPI accessed on 25 August 2026.
Influenza
• Australia: The New South Wales respiratory surveillance report for EpiWeek 33, ending 15 August 2026, records influenza activity still increasing and remaining at a high level. Emergency department presentations and hospital admissions for influenza-like illness both increased, including among all children under 10 years of age. In Victoria, the Chief Health Officer issued a health alert on 24 August 2026 on rising respiratory infections: influenza and COVID-19 are increasing while RSV remains at a moderate level following its peak in July. Health service visits for respiratory illness have also been increasing. The alert stresses that this is a later-than-usual seasonal increase compared with previous seasons, that it is not too late to be vaccinated, and that young children, pregnant women, older adults and immunocompromised people are at greater risk of severe disease. The Victorian Respiratory Surveillance Report of 21 August (week ending 15 August) showed a 42% increase in influenza notifications, rising from 1,168 to 1,655 cases. Test positivity also increased from 3.8% to 4.9%. COVID-19 notifications remained stable (605 compared with 582 the previous week), while RSV notifications declined by 13%, from 1,194 to 1,040 cases, with positivity rate decreasing from 7.5% to 6.3%. RSV activity has now been declining for six weeks among children under five years and for four weeks among adults aged 65 years and over. Modelling by the Australia-Aotearoa Consortium for Epidemic Forecasting and Analytics gives more than 99% probability that influenza notifications are increasing. Importantly, Victorian influenza activity is nonetheless rated only low-moderate and notified cases remain lower than at the same point in the past two years. – Sources: NSW Health respiratory surveillance report, epidemiological week 33 ending 15 August 2026, Victorian Chief Health Officer alert of 24 August 2026 and the Victorian Respiratory Surveillance Report accessed on 25 August 2026.
Rotavirus
• Tuvalu: The Ministry of Health issued its third rotavirus situation report, covering 17–22 August 2026. Twenty-three cases are now laboratory-confirmed, all of them in Funafuti and spread across all six districts of Fongafale, following the first positive result in a young child on 4 August. Children carry the burden: 18 of the 23 are under 15 years of age and 11 are under 5. One child has been admitted to hospital and no deaths have been reported. Syndromic surveillance describes a larger event than the confirmed count: total diarrhoea consultations peaked at 147 in EpiWeek 33 before falling back to 47 in EpiWeek 34, with 135 suspected cases recorded between 4 and 22 August. Only five specimens were tested during the reporting week, three of them positive, so the confirmed total reflects testing capacity rather than the size of the outbreak. A Rotavirus Outbreak Committee met for the first time on 19 August and health promotion messaging began on radio on 20 August. – Source: Tuvalu Ministry of Health, Rotavirus Situation Report #3 (17–22 August 2026) accessed on 25 August 2026.
Why this article appeared here
This story matched the site’s configured topics and was automatically ranked for recency, source priority, and breaking-news terms.
Read the original reporting
For the original report and any subsequent live updates, see ReliefWeb – Updates.
