October 15, 2026
Yap, FSM—Health officials in Yap State reported that diarrheal illnesses remained above the established alert threshold for the eighth consecutive week, while an increase in dengue-like illnesses prompted a new alert during Epidemiological Week 41 (EpiWeek 41).
According to a public health surveillance update shared by the Yap State Government, health facilities documented 561 patient encounters during the reporting period. Although the number of diarrheal cases declined, the illness continued to exceed the threshold used by health officials to identify potentially concerning disease activity.
Nine diarrheal cases were reported during the week, including four at the Yap Main Hospital outpatient department, two at Gagil Community Health Center, and one each at Nimgil Community Health Center, Mogmog Dispensary, and Lamotrek.
Laboratory testing identified intestinal pathogens in three patients. One patient had a co-infection involving Adenovirus and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), while another tested positive for enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). A third patient tested positive for Rotavirus.
The continued alert follows several weeks of heightened monitoring of diarrheal illnesses in Yap, although the latest figures indicate a decline in newly reported cases.
Meanwhile, health officials placed dengue-like illness (DLI) on alert status after recording six cases at the Yap Main Hospital outpatient department during the reporting week. The increase exceeded the established alert threshold.
However, laboratory testing did not confirm dengue infection. Health officials reported that all 14 samples tested for dengue and leptospirosis returned negative results.
The distinction is important because dengue-like illness refers to symptoms consistent with dengue fever rather than laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease. The surveillance report did not identify the causes of the six reported illnesses.
Influenza-like illness (ILI) also increased for the fourth consecutive week, although the number of cases remained below the alert threshold.
Health facilities reported 24 cases across seven surveillance sites. Five were recorded at the Main Hospital outpatient department, four each at Gagil Community Health Center and Ifalik, three each at Ulithi, Elato, and Satawal, and two at Mogmog.
No respiratory laboratory tests were conducted during the reporting period.
The surveillance figures indicate that diarrheal illness remains a continuing public health concern in Yap, while health officials are also monitoring increases in dengue-like and influenza-like symptoms.
Although both diarrhea and dengue-like illness have reached alert status, the report does not indicate that health authorities have declared an outbreak of either disease.
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