Hawaii confirms 2nd travel-related dengue case in 2025
The Hawaii Department of Health has confirmed a new case of travel-related dengue on Oahu, bringing the total so far this year to two.
This latest case comes about a month after the first one of 2025. Like the first case, DOH said this affected individual was exposed to the virus while traveling in a region where dengue is common.
DOH said teams have been deployed to conduct inspections and implement mosquito control measures in the affected area, which it did not disclose.
DOH usually sends notices to area residents, informing them of the dengue case. In the first case, a Hawaii Kai resident confirmed to the Star-Advertiser that she saw one of these notices posted to a gate on Lunalilo Home Road.
Dengue outbreaks occur in many parts of the world, including many popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean; Central and South America; Asia; the Middle East; Africa; and some Pacific islands including American Samoa, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.
In 2024, the department confirmed 16 cases of travel-related dengue, including 11 on Oahu, four on Maui, and one on Kauai.
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DOH said these cases reported travel to the following countries prior to symptoms onset: Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Philippines and India.
All of these destinations are areas where dengue is known to be endemic.
DOH says dengue Opens in a new tabis a viral illness spread by mosquitoes — and can be transmitted from infected person to mosquito to person. While Hawaii is home to Aedes mosquitoes which can carry dengue, the disease is not established here.
Symptoms of dengue include the sudden onset of fever, severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle and joint pain, and rash. Symptoms commonly start four to seven days after being bitten by infected mosquitoes, but can begin as late as 14 days afterwards.
People generally recover from dengue within one to two weeks, DOH said.
If symptoms develop within two weeks after a trip to an area with dengue, residents should seek medical advice from a health care provider.
