Dengue in Fiji: epidemiology of the 2014 DENV-3 outbreak.

Introduction: Dengue virus serotype-3 caused a large community-level outbreak in Fiji in 2013 and 2014. We aimed to characterize the demographic features of affected individuals and to determine dengue mortality during the outbreak.

Methods: All laboratory-confirmed dengue cases and deaths were included in this study.

Lessons learnt from a three-year pilot field epidemiology training programme.

Problem: The Pacific region has widely dispersed populations, limited financial and human resources and a high burden of disease. There is an urgent need to improve the availability, reliability and timeliness of useable health data.

Context: The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learnt from a three-year pilot field epidemiology training programme that was designed to respond to these Pacific health challenges.