Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong. [File Photo]

The Ministry of Health has noted an increase in people becoming ill with cold and flu-like illnesses.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong, says this increase is especially present in children under the age of five.

Doctor Fong says the paediatrics department at CWM Hospital is also seeing an increase in children under the age of five, especially infants, being admitted with acute respiratory illnesses while testing negative for COVID-19 and influenza.

He adds that it has been expected that as restrictions intended to prevent transmission of COVID-19 were lifted, other respiratory viruses that normally circulate would begin to re-emerge similar to pre-COVID levels.

However, he adds, there is a possibility of it being at higher levels due to a decrease in population immunity to seasonal viruses, as cold and flu cases were low during the last two years.

Meanwhile, there have been 116 lab-confirmed cases of typhoid fever this year, with five new cases since the last update.

Doctor Fong says the case numbers at the national level and in the four divisions are currently at the average level expected at this time of the year for the endemic disease.

He adds there has been 1960 lab-confirmed cases of dengue fever this year, with 92 new cases since the last update.