World: Epidemic and emerging disease alerts in the Pacific as of 30 June 2026

Countries: World, Australia, Micronesia (Federated States of), New Caledonia (France), New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna (France) Source: Pacific Community Please refer to the attached Map. Dengue • New Caledonia: As of 23 June 2026, a cumulative total of 2,145 dengue cases have been reported in New Caledonia since 1st January 2026, with the most recent case dated 23 June 2026. DENV-1 remains the only circulating serotype, and the number of newly confirmed cases has continued to decline week on week since EpiWeek 20. Transmission remains comparatively low in Greater Nouméa, where the protective effect of Wolbachia mosquitoes supported by the World Mosquito Program continues to limit spread. The blue alert for DENV-1 remains in effect. – Source: La dengue | Direction des Affaires Sanitaires et Sociales de Nouvelle-Calédonie accessed on 30 June 2026. • Samoa: As of EpiWeek 25 (15–21 June 2026), dengue activity in Samoa has continued to decline, with 53 new cases reported, representing a 65% decrease compared with the previous week, including seven laboratory-confirmed. DENV-1 (54%) and DENV-2 (46%) continue to co-circulate, with children under 15 years being the most affected age group. Since 1st January 2025, a cumulative total of 19,817 clinically diagnosed cases and 5,503 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported, with nine dengue-related deaths to date, while public health measures continue to focus on community awareness, vector control and promote early healthcare seeking. The blue alert for DENV-1 and DENV-2 remains in effect. – Source: Dengue Fever Outbreak Situation Report in Samoa, Issue No. 62 accessed on 30 June 2026. • Tonga: As of 26 June 2026, dengue transmission continues in Tonga, with a total of 76 laboratory-confirmed cases reported, including one new case since the 19 June 2026. No cases are currently hospitalised, and no dengue-related deaths have been reported to date. The epidemiological profile remains broadly unchanged, with the highest burden now among those aged 15–19 years, predominantly male, and most cases reported from Tongatapu. DENV-2 remains the identified circulating serotype, and response activities, including community awareness campaigns, school health talks and vector control measures, are ongoing, with environmental health inspections conducted across 12 sites ahead of the Free Wesleyan Church conference. The blue alert for DENV-2 remains in effect. – Source: Dengue Fever Outbreak Situation Report #29 shared with PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on 26 June 2026. • Vanuatu: As of EpiWeek 25 (15–21 June 2026), the dengue outbreak on South-West Efate Island, Shefa Province, continues, with a cumulative total of 23 confirmed cases, including six new cases in EpiWeek 25, and weekly counts remaining above the alert threshold of four cases per week. One case was hospitalised in EpiWeek 25, and no deaths have been recorded to date. Cases are concentrated in the Pango Area Council (52%), with the remainder in Port Vila (22%), Erakor (18%), Mele (4%) and Eratap (4%), indicating a widening geographic distribution. Of the total cases 57% are female and the majority (52%) are aged over 26 years. Epidemiological investigations indicate local transmission, with some cases reporting recent travel to Fiji within the incubation period, and samples have been collected for serotyping, with the circulating serotype not yet confirmed. As transmission remains above the alert threshold and is extending into the South-West Efate area, the outbreak status is maintained, and t he red alert for dengue (serotype to be determined, DENV-?) remains in effect . – Sources: Dengue Outbreak on South-West Efate Island, Shefa Province, Vanuatu – Situation Report #5, Vanuatu National Surveillance Unit, shared with PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on 26 June 2026 and Dengue Outbreak Declared - Health Promotion Vanuatu, Official Facebook page , accessed on 30 June 2026. • Wallis and Futuna: As of 24 June 2026, a cumulative total of 28 confirmed and probable dengue cases have been reported in Wallis and Futuna, including nine in Wallis. The epidemic continues to spread on Wallis, where a cluster of cases has been identified at the Vaimoana college/secondary school, while no new case was reported in Futuna in EpiWeek 24, indicating stabilisation on that island. DENV-1 was identified in the first reported case. Health authorities have strengthened the public health response, including peri-focal adulticide treatment around case clusters, destruction of larval breeding sites around affected households, distribution of repellents to all cases, public communication on the situation and control measures, and reinforced community-level vector control. The red alert for DENV-1 remains in effect. – Source: Agence de Santé de Wallis et Futuna – Point de situation sur la dengue (24 June 2026) shared with PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on 25 June 2026. Pertussis/Whooping cough • Federated States of Micronesia: In Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia, no new suspected or confirmed pertussis cases have been reported in the most recent reporting period. Since EpiWeek 17 (20–26 April 2026), the cumulative number of pertussis cases reported in Pohnpei State has remained unchanged at 40 cases, comprising 16 laboratory-confirmed cases and 24 suspected cases. Given the sustained absence of new cases, the blue alert for pertussis is now removed . – Source: Exchange with the Pohnpei State Department of Health and Social Services (FSM focal point) shared with PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on 24 June 2026. • New Zealand: Pertussis activity in New Zealand continues as part of the ongoing national epidemic, with transmission persisting nationwide. As of the week ending 19 June 2026, weekly cases decreased to 25, compared with 36 in the previous week ending 12 June 2026, bringing the cumulative total for 2026 to 915 cases. The blue alert for pertussis remains in effect. – Source: Pertussis dashboard accessed on 30 June 2026. • Vanuatu: As of EpiWeek 25 (15–21 June 2026), pertussis activity in Vanuatu continues to show a sustained declining trend, with no new cases reported since EpiWeek 23. The most recent suspected case was reported in EpiWeek 22 and the last laboratory-confirmed case in EpiWeek 14. The cumulative total stands at 833 cases, comprising 789 clinically diagnosed and 44 laboratory-confirmed cases, with seven pertussis-associated deaths to date (six in Tanna and one in Shefa). Cases remain concentrated in Efate (~55%) and Tanna (~37%), with the highest burden among children aged 1–9 years. With more than three weeks elapsed since the last reported case, the epidemiological criteria for declaring the outbreak over are being met, and a formal declaration may be considered in the next reporting period pending continued absence of cases. The blue alert for pertussis remains in effect. – Source: Vanuatu Pertussis Outbreak Situation Report 21 shared with PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on 26 June 2026. Other Information: Arbovirus • New Zealand: In New Zealand, during EpiWeek 25 (20–26 June 2026), two dengue cases (one confirmed and one under investigation) and one probable Ross River virus case were reported. The confirmed dengue case had been to Sri Lanka, and the probable Ross River virus case had been to Australia, during the incubation periods. Given the known serological cross-reactivity between dengue and other flaviviruses, some reported cases may ultimately be reclassified as other flavivirus infections as epidemiological and laboratory investigations continue. – Source: NZ Arbovirus Notifications by Country (25: 20/06/2026–26/06/2026) shared with PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on 29 June 2026. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in wild birds • Australia: As of 27 June 2026, four cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 have been confirmed in Australia since 20 June, with a fifth case pending confirmation, all involving migratory seabirds (giant petrels and a brown skua). The first detection, in a brown skua found in Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance in southern Western Australia, was confirmed by the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness on 20 June and marked the first detection of HPAI (H5) in Australia, with the strain identified as the globally circulating H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b. Three of the four confirmed cases were detected in Western Australia (two near Cape Le Grand and one at Quindalup) and one in South Australia (a giant petrel on the Fleurieu Peninsula). Genomic sequencing links the first Australian case to the outbreak on Heard and McDonald Islands, indicating the virus had been circulating in sub-Antarctic wildlife before reaching the mainland. Since 19 June, more than 400 reports have been made to the Emergency Animal Disease hotline, with 53 prioritised for investigation and 17 negative results recorded to date. No detections have been reported in poultry or other agricultural systems, no mass mortality in other wildlife has been observed, and the public health risk to humans is assessed as low. This event highlights the ongoing risk of H5N1 introduction to the Pacific via migratory birds and underscores the need for continued vigilance. – Sources: Australia confirms fourth HPAI (H5N1) case in migratory seabirds, strengthening national surveillance - BEACON accessed on 30 June 2026. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) • Solomon Islands: The Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services has reported a cumulative total of 104 confirmed HIV cases as of 31 May 2026 (since the first case in 1994), up from 79 cases reported on 1 December 2025, representing 25 new cases over approximately five months. This continues a marked escalation, with 34 new cases recorded in 2025 compared with eight in 2024, against a historical background of only one or two cases per year. No demographic breakdown was provided for the newly reported cases. Health authorities are urging the public to seek HIV testing, pursue early treatment and reduce stigma, and are working to update HIV policies and decentralise testing and treatment services. The rise mirrors broader regional trends, with Papua New Guinea having declared HIV a national crisis and Fiji having declared an HIV outbreak driven in part by injecting drug use, underscoring the risk of spillover through frequent regional travel. – Sources: Solomon Islands records 25 new HIV cases, total rises to 104 and Increase in HIV infections reported in the Solomon Islands raises public health concerns - BEACON accessed on 30 June 2026. Respiratory diseases Palau: In Palau, the Ministry of Health and Human Services continues to respond to a tuberculosis (TB) cluster, with 12 active TB cases identified in the first half of 2026, compared with 13 cases for all of 2025. A total of 134 close contacts have been identified, of whom 123 (92%) have completed screening and clinical evaluation, and contact investigations have identified six of the 12 active cases. Separately, one laboratory-confirmed case of pertussis has been reported in an individual with a history of completed childhood vaccination and no recent travel. The public is advised to stay up to date with vaccinations, practise good respiratory hygiene, and seek medical care early for persistent or worsening cough symptoms. Despite low reported levels of influenza-like illness (ILI), syndromic surveillance for EpiWeek 26 indicates increased respiratory activity, driven primarily by COVID-19. – Sources: Ministry of Health and Human Services, Republic of Palau Official Facebook page – TB Situation Update #4 and Ministry of Health and Human Services, Republic of Palau Official Facebook page - One Laboratory-Confirmed Case of Pertussis in Palau , accessed on 30 June 2026 and Ministry of Health and Human Services - Syndromic Surveillance Report, EpiWeek 26 shared with PPHSN Coordinating Body Focal point on 29 June 2026.
2026-06-30 11:55:35