Another confirmed case of travel-related dengue Opens in a new tabhas been reported to the state Health Department — this time, in Haleiwa.
The latest case was reported Thursday, just a few days after another travel-related case reported Monday on Oahu, according to health officials, who did not disclose what part of the island that case was in.
But the Hawaii Department of Health this time is urging the public to take additional precautions to protect themselves from the mosquito-borne disease because of the high traffic of visitors around Haleiwa Harbor.
Additionally, officials said highly dense populations of the Aedes albopictus mosquito — a vector of the dengue virus — were found around the resident’s home and surrounding area, and that these conditions could increase the risk of transmission.
Vector control teams have already treated the area, according to DOH, and will continue to monitor it and take additional measures as needed.
DOH is also urging the public, especially in Haleiwa, to take extra precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites with repellent or protective clothing and to stop mosquitoes from breeding.
Teams are going door to door to talk to residents, offering free inspections, said Matt Kurano, head of DOH’s vector control branch. Notices about confirmed dengue cases and recommended precautions will also be posted in the Haleiwa boat harbor area
“We’re really asking the public for their cooperation and kokua,” said Kurano during a news briefing this morning. “The smallest things that people can do, walking around after this heavy rain event today, there’s going to be a lot of standing water in buckets and in bromeliads and in boat covers. We need everybody going around and dumping those things out.”
The dengue virus is spread from infected person to mosquito to person. Although Hawaii is home to the type of mosquitoes that can carry dengue, the disease is not established in the state.
Symptoms of dengue include the sudden onset of fever, nausea, vomiting, rash and body aches, which typically last two to seven days. Although life-threatening illnesses can occur, most people recover after about a week.
DOH said since Jan. 1, 2023, to present, there have been 10 travel-related cases reported in Hawaii. Of those 10 cases, five had traveled to Central or South America, and five had traveled to Asia.
Visit this DOH website Opens in a new tab to learn of more ways to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.
