The warning follows the confirmation of several reported cases of Type III dengue over the past two months, in what the officials said the first incidence of the disease on the island in over 30 years.

"We have been notified from the Caribbean Epidemiological Centre (CAREC) in Trinidad, that they have isolated Dengue III from some of the samples that we sent to them for analysis," Acting chief medical officer Carissa Ettienne said.

"We have never had Dengue III in Dominica - at least we have no evidence of that - and with this new strain of the virus we expect to see a large number of people becoming ill with dengue unless we stop the transmission," Ettienne said.

Epidemiologist Roderick Fortune said out of 18 samples sent to Trinidad for testing, 13 cases were confirmed positive for type three dengue.

"So clearly we are saying that we are having dengue, the symptoms are classic," Fortune said.

He said testing for the disease was taken mainly from the western part of the island, and random samples will be taken from other sections of the country this week, to determine whether the incidence of dengue is island-wide.

Fortune said while the three other types of dengue have been identified in other parts of the region, Type III of the disease is a rare occurrence over the past 30 years. (CANA)