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Dengue Fever Hits Hawaii Twice in a Week | Could It Become Common?

Dengue Fever Hits Hawaii Twice in a Week | Could It Become Common?
February 10, 2024


The Hawaii Department of Health has once again confirmed a case of dengue fever related to travel, this time on Maui, marking the second incident in one week following the one on Oahu. The last incident occurred in December. At that time, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources warned residents that mosquitoes only need small amounts of standing water to breed, such as buckets, plants, small containers, and planters.
According to the Hawaii Department of Health, the cases this week and several others throughout 2023 involve individuals who had recently traveled to places outside the U.S. where dengue fever is prevalent.
Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes in tropical and subtropical areas. Symptoms include sudden fever, severe headache, joint and eye pain, and rashes, typically resolving within one to two weeks. However, in rare cases, it can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever, which can be fatal.
While there is no treatment for Dengue, there are preventative measures to take while traveling and vaccine progress, which we will discuss below.
Hawaii does have the species of mosquitoes capable of transmitting dengue.
However, dengue fever is not established or endemic within Hawaii. Recent cases have so far been limited to travelers returning from other affected regions.
Dengue Fever Hits Hawaii Twice in a Week | Could It Become Common?Dengue Fever Hits Hawaii Twice in a Week | Could It Become Common?
There were 250 confirmed cases of locally acquired Hawaii dengue fever in 2016.
The last locally acquired case of dengue fever in Hawaii was in 2016. Dengue fever became a significant concern then, particularly on the Big Island, where a state of emergency was declared due to the outbreak. In a period of four months, there were 250 confirmed cases, marking Hawaii’s largest dengue fever outbreak in 70 years. Among the infected, 25 were Hawaii visitors, while 227 were residents.
That outbreak was likely the result of a dengue introduction via infected travelers, which was sustained by subsequent local transmission.
How Hawaii Marketing Just Dissed Almost All VisitorsHow Hawaii Marketing Just Dissed Almost All Visitors
Why isn’t dengue fever common in Hawaii?
That’s mainly due to the lack of large numbers of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, combined with geographical and environmental factors.
The remoteness of the Hawaiian Islands acts as a natural barrier against the establishment of dengue fever. When coupled with the limited presence of dengue mosquitoes, the likelihood is further reduced.
Hawaii’s climate is another factor. While Hawaii’s weather is conducive to mosquitoes, it lacks the consistent conditions ideal for widespread mosquito breeding and virus transmission found in dengue-prone areas. Hawaii’s seasonal variations in rainfall and greater temperature fluctuations also help reduce the proliferation of mosquitoes in general.
The state implements strict controls, including mosquito surveillance and control efforts, and public health interventions. Taking proactive measures in Hawaii helps minimize the risk of transmission and prevent outbreaks.
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Could dengue become common in Hawaii?
There remains a certain risk that dengue could become common in Hawaii. The reasons for that could be:

More Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. This might occur unintentionally through cargo or human travel.
Changes in temperatures and rainfall due to climate change could create more favorable conditions for mosquitoes.
Travelers from dengue-prone regions could once again introduce the virus to Hawaii, as happened in 2016, potentially leading to local transmission again.

Dengue fever vaccines.
Prevention remains the only generally available remedy. Effective prevention strategies revolve around avoiding mosquito bites.
The development of a vaccine against dengue fever has been ongoing for one hundred years. Progress is said to have been impeded by challenges associated with creating immunity against the four serotypes of the dengue virus.

Two vaccines are commercially available, Dengvaxia and Qdenga.
Dengvaxia is mainly for those who have previously had dengue fever or reside in certain areas where most people have already been exposed to dengue. This is largely due to the possibility of increasing the risk of severe dengue in those with no prior exposure.
Qdenga, however, is designed for those who have not been previously infected.
Several other vaccines are in development which hold promise for the future.
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