Fijian officials have issued instructions on how to avoid disease in the aftermath of massive flooding that has left three dead and four missing and forced 9,000 to evacuate their homes.
The Ministry of Health says there is a heightened risk of an outbreak of infectious disease such as typhoid, leptospirosis, dengue fever, dairrhoea and scabies.
It says food should be protected from insects and rats, and drinking water protected from contamination.
The ministry also says insect repellent and mosquito nets are imperative to ward off dengue fever.
Days of torrential rain have cut power and telephone lines, and left hundreds of holidaymakers stranded.
The towns of Nadi, Rakiraki and Ba in the worst-hit west of the country are swamped after being pelted by more than 200 millimetres of rain since Friday. The weather is not expected to improve significantly until at least Wednesday.
Radio New Zealand correspondent Vijay Narayan says more than 9,400 people are staying in 108 evacuation centres in Fiji, with those in Lambasa and Ba the busiest. Although floodwaters have receded, people are being told to stay in the evacuation centres.
Dusk-to-dawn curfews have been imposed in the worst-affected areas to prevent looting, including at Nadi, site of Fiji's international airport, which is cut off from Suva by floodwaters.
Curfews in Nadi were lifted on Monday, but Mr Narayan said evacuated residents do not know when they will be able to return home.
Fiji's Disaster Management Office says people are being asked to stay put until they are advised otherwise.
Nadi resident Jack Raniga said telephone lines were down and mobile networks are affected. In some places, there is no power or drinking water and in other areas electricity and water are limited.
A Telecom spokesperson said some calls from New Zealand are getting through to Fiji.
In Nadi, crops have been flattened and tourist operators say supplies are running low.
Red Cross disaster relief manager Vuni Gauna says the destruction of gardens is devastating and will take those affected a long time to recover. Mr Gauna estimates the damage bill in Nadi alone to be $NZ20 million.
New Zealand tourists stranded
A New Zealand travel agency says it has at least 500 customers stranded in Fiji because of flooding, but they are all safe.
House of Travel spokesperson Brent Thomas says he has been in contact with industry colleagues in Fiji.
Mr Thomas says people are being told they must stay in resorts because the roads are impassable and the weather means it is impossible to get boats in from the outer islands.
But he believes there is no danger and it is just a matter of sitting it out. It could be towards the end of the week before some travellers can get back to New Zealand.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says the high commission in Fiji has had no reports of New Zealanders needing assistance.
Plea for help
A former mayor of Nadi, Salesh Mudaliar, says residents are in desperate need of help.
Mr Mudaliar, who lives in Auckland, said the flooding is the worst the town has ever experienced and some families have lost their homes, belongings and livelihoods.
He urged people Fijians living in New Zealand to start fundraising and collect items that could be sent to aid in the recovery.
The New Zealand Government is to put $100,000 towards relief efforts in western parts of Fiji.
The money will initially go to the Red Cross to replenish emergency stocks such as water containers, tarpaulins and medical supplies.
