Several viral infectious diseases are currently causing minor epidemics in Male' and possibly in nearby islands. The illnesses that have recently increased in number include;

• Dengue Fever and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever
• A non-specific Viral Fever
• A non-specific Flu-like illness
• Sporadic cases of Measles
• Sporadic cases of Mumps
• Sporadic cases of Chicken pox
  

These illness predominantly affect children.

At a time like this it is important to take necessary preventive measures to help control the spread of the illnesses.

• Mosquito control measures and mosquito bite prevention measures are recommended to prevent the spreading of Dengue Fever.
• Vaccination against the vaccine preventable diseases like Measles Mumps and Chicken pox is recommended to reduce disease burden and prevent it from spreading.
  
• Case diagnosis, institution of appropriate treatment and isolation from non-affected children (and adults) is one of the most important measures to prevent the spread of most viral contagious illnesses.
• Improvement in personal hygiene; especially in the care of sick and unwell children would also help contain the illnesses.