The Hawaii Department of Health has identified a new case of travel-related dengue on Oahu, the first of 2025.

Health officials did not disclose where the Oahu resident lives, but said the affected traveler was exposed in a country where dengue is common.

“DOH teams were deployed for inspection and mosquito control in the affected area,” a department news release today said. “The community is asked to help reduce the risk for any local transmission by exercising best practices.”

The latest case is within weeks of two other cases reported in December. In 2024, the department confirmed 16 cases of travel-related dengue, including 11 on Oahu, four on Maui, and one on Kauai.

The dengue virus is spread from infected person to mosquito to person, officials said. While Hawaii is home to Aedes mosquitoes which can carry dengue, the disease is not established here.

Dengue is common in 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.

Multiple regions around the world are experiencing higher-than-normal dengue activity, Hawaii health officials said, so residents should review country-specific information four to six weeks before travel.

Symptoms of dengue include the sudden onset of fever, nausea, vomiting, rash and body aches, which typically last two to seven days. If symptoms develop within two weeks after a trip to an area with risk of dengue, residents should seek medical advice from a health care provider.

Health officials advise residents returning from these areas to take steps to prevent mosquito bites for three weeks. Residents can help eliminate mosquito breeding sites by emptying out any vessels of standing water in and around their homes.