Dengue – colloquially called breakbone fever for the severe joint pain it causes – is endemic in much of Timor-Leste, but COVID-19 has pulled some attention away from the fight against it, officials say.

In Timor-Leste, a dengue epidemic which started in November is picking up strength.

Two children died in Dili this month and infections surged, with over 502 patients reported, the majority children, according to Agustina Segurada, the director of Dili municipality.

Spread by mosquitos, dengue is a virus that people may catch more than once, with the second cases more likely to be severe.

Dengue is usually not fatal and can be treated with painkillers, although some sufferers deal with persistent symptoms like fatigue and weight loss.

Severe dengue is treated with intravenous fluids and those who do not get tested are at risk of dangerous complications, according to health experts.

Dengue specialist Milena M. Lay dos Santos said it was critical parents take children to a health clinic at the first sign of dengue fever.

" Sometimes it’s difficult to save certain patients because parents bring them to the health facilitiy too late " Milena told reporters from a clinic where she was treating dengue patients.

Dengue - which causes flu-like symptoms and can develop into the deadly dengue haemorrhagic fever - is the world’s fastest-spreading tropical disease, with the annual number of cases increasing 30-fold in the last 50 years, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Asia has the most cases, with 67 million people infected per year, researchers say.

This year’s spike in dengue cases is connected with the start of the rainy season, which has increased the number of breeding spots for the mosquito that carries the dengue virus.

Health experts encourage people to remove stagnant pools of water, where mosquitoes can breed, and use mosquito nets and insect repellent to prevent mosquito bites.