Dengue outbreak DENGUE FEVER on Maui has spread beyond Hana and Nahiku in East Maui, with the number of people believed to have been infected by the disease rising to more than 100, state officials said yesterday.
spreads beyond
East Maui
More than 100 cases of the
mosquito-borne fever are
suspected from Hana
to HaikuBy B.J. Reyes
breyes@starbulletin.com"The dengue fever outbreak is bigger than we thought originally," state Health Director Bruce Anderson said yesterday. "It's involving more people and expanding into areas other than Hana."
In addition to Maui, there are 27 suspected cases on other islands, but officials said they involve people who contracted the disease outside of Hawaii.
Dengue fever cannot be spread from one person to another, but instead is spread to people by mosquitoes carrying the virus. A mosquito that bites an infected person can spread the disease to other people.
Some of the Maui cases came from infected mosquitoes, which has state officials worried.
"(Dengue) probably was introduced here in the past and burned out on its own," Anderson said, explaining that infected mosquitoes likely died before being able to spread the disease. "Now we have a situation where there's enough infected mosquitoes that it seems to be maintaining itself and spreading."
Gov. Ben Cayetano, on Maui to discuss the state's faltering economy, said he has asked the National Guard to look into ways it can help control dengue fever, including driving trucks and spraying pesticides.
"We're putting a full-court press on it," he said.
Symptoms of dengue fever are similar to the flu and include high fever, headaches, eye aches, chills, nausea, vomiting, joint pain and in some cases a rash, Anderson said. The more serious dengue hemorrhagic fever has a fatality rate of 5 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for dengue fever, and so far none of the cases have been serious enough to require hospitalization, health officials said.
The state Department of Health is advising residents to be aware of dengue fever and take whatever steps are necessary to help control mosquitoes, which spread the virus. Helpful activities include: PREVENTION
>> Eliminate or empty all sources of standing water on property, including roof gutters, plastic containers, buckets, used tires, flower pots and cans.
>> Empty and clean pet watering dishes and flower vases at least once a week.
>> Check all screen doors and windows, and repair holes or tears in screens.
>> Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to limit exposure.
>> Use indoor insecticides and repellents if mosquitoes are in the home.
Dengue fever caused flu-like symptoms of high fever, headaches, eye aches, chills, vomiting and joint pain. SYMPTOMS
If you think you may have contracted dengue fever, consult your physician. Anyone suspected of contracting it should avoid aspirin, as it may lead to a condition known as Reye's syndrome that can affect the liver and brain.
For more information, call the Department of Health in Honolulu at 586-4586, the Vector Control Branch in Honolulu at 831-6767, the Hawaii District Health Office at 933-0912, the Maui District Health Office at 984-8200 or the Kauai District Health Office at 241-3536.
Source: Hawaii Department of Health
Nineteen cases of the disease, all in East Maui, have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control, while more than 100 other people are suspected of having contracted the disease, health officials said. That figure was up from 60 suspected cases earlier.
Though most of the cases have been confined to East Maui, "now we're getting cases extending into Haiku and possibly other areas of Maui, which is of concern," Anderson said. Haiku is about 45 miles west of Hana on the Hana Highway.
Health officials said a Haiku man believed to have contracted the disease lives next door to a confirmed dengue victim who contracted it after visiting Hana in August.
While there have been no reports of the Maui outbreak spreading to other islands, the Health Department said there is concern of other outbreaks because of 27 "imported" cases of dengue fever diagnosed in residents of Oahu, Hawaii, Kauai and other regions of Maui.
"These are people who visited places where dengue fever is endemic and became ill either while they were traveling back or shortly after returning," said Dr. Philip Bruno, chairman of the Communicable Disease Division.
Anderson and Bruno said such imported cases are common, adding that Hawaii residents who traveled to Tahiti earlier this year may have been exposed to the virus from large outbreaks that occurred in French Polynesia and American and Western Samoa in the spring.
The state is working to track down all cases to get a better understanding of how widespread the outbreak is, Anderson said.
Additionally, the state is launching a massive effort to control the spread of the disease by spraying for mosquitoes and limiting access to areas of Hana and Nahiku where people may be exposed to the insects.
The state also is urging residents to help by using insect repellent and eliminating breeding grounds for mosquitoes such as receptacles where stagnant water can collect.
Anderson added the state will assist in cleanup efforts to remove mosquito breeding grounds and has asked for help from the military in moving larger items where water can build up.
Meanwhile, officials with the Maui Visitors Bureau, already wary of a tourism slowdown stemming form the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, are working on getting information out to the public.
"Hopefully, it will not deter visitors from coming to Maui," bureau spokeswoman Charlene Kauhane said. "We don't know because it's too early to tell."
Some business owners said they have already felt a hit.
Josie Diego, owner of Hana House and Vacation Rental, said she has received several cancellations from people worried about dengue fever. "They said they were worried they might get it."
Fusae Nakamura, owner of Aloha Cottages in Hana, said she also had one cancellation last weekend, "because they had a baby and they didn't want to come to Hana."
John Romain, co-owner of Bamboo Inn on Hana Bay, said his business has not been drastically affected, but acknowledged there is a concern.
"I feel like I'm walking on glass," Romain said. "We can't hide it, but if we can put (information) out in a way that the traveler realizes they can still come through here, we should be OK."
Star-Bulletin reporter Gary Kubota contributed to this report.