The southernmost territory of the United States, situated southwest of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, has declared a health emergency related to a surge of dengue fever cases.
As of July 7, 2025, the American Samoa Department of Health issued a travel alert following the confirmation of four imported cases of dengue fever and two locally-acquired cases. The local population is urged to protect themselves from mosquito bites, which are the source of this serious disease.
The government stated that these dengue cases are related to travelers to and from Samoa, a neighboring island.
According to the Samoa Bureau of Statistics, American Samoa welcomed over 200,000 visitors in 2024.
Over the last two years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an increasing number of dengue cases in territories.
The CDC says the dengue virus is endemic and has caused outbreaks in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
Except for Puerto Rico, dengue vaccines are not available in the continental U.S. or its territories as of 2025.
Within the U.S., the state of Florida reports the majority of dengue cases.