The zika virus has been found in Nauru - the sixth country in the Pacific to be affected by the mosquito borne virus.
In a submission into an Australian senate inquiry into conditions in Australia's offshore detention centres, the department said precautions had been taken to protect detainees from contracting the virus.
According to RNZI, it said strong insect repellent had been supplied to detainees on both Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.
To date this year Zika had been recorded in five Pacific countries, with more than 500 suspected cases detected in American Samoa.
The mosquito borne virus has surged through Latin America and has been linked to birth defects in children of the region.
Source:
Radio New Zealand International