(Koror, Palau – August 19, 2025) Palau’s latest health report shows mixed news on respiratory and mosquito-borne diseases, with flu cases declining, COVID-19 holding steady, and dengue fever making a surprising comeback after more than ten years.
Health officials say new cases of Influenza A have dropped sharply from 24 cases three weeks ago to just 4 last week. No Influenza B or RSV infections have been detected recently. COVID-19 remains limited, with only 2 new cases reported in the last week.
The bigger concern is dengue fever. Six cases were confirmed among residents in July, with testing showing two different strains circulating. While no new cases were reported last week, authorities are on high alert, since Palau had not seen any dengue cases in over a decade.
Across the Pacific, other countries are facing larger outbreaks. Samoa has reported more than 2,700 dengue cases this year, while Nauru and Kiribati are also battling hundreds of infections. On the respiratory front, Wallis & Futuna saw the region’s highest number of flu-like illnesses, while CNMI recorded the biggest jump in COVID-19 cases.
Palau’s Ministry of Health is urging the public to stay vigilant — taking mosquito precautions to prevent dengue and continuing good hygiene to avoid the spread of flu and COVID-19.
Source: Pacific Syndromic Surveillance System (PSSS), Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, Epi Week 32, 2025