Dengue fever
probe extends
to mainland

35 tourists who think
they might have the fever
are being tested

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By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com

State health officials are investigating reports of about 35 tourists who say they think they contracted dengue fever while in Hawaii, including two from California who received confirmation of the disease through private laboratory tests.

Dr. Paul Effler, state epidemiologist, said the state has ruled out cases involving 15 other tourists after blood tests.

The 35 tourists are at various stages of testing, ranging from those awaiting blood tests to others awaiting the test results.

Four members of a Texas family who lived in Hana for a couple of months last year have been the only confirmed cases involving visitors, the state said.

Officials said so far, all other tests of tourists through the Centers for Disease Control have been negative for the mosquito-borne virus.

Effler expressed doubts about private laboratory tests for dengue. "We haven't found commercial tests are reliable," he said.

He said state officials have been investigating any tourists who say they think they had the virus and not necessarily screening them for clinical symptoms, because dengue fever displays its symptoms in a variety of ways.

Effler said both California visitors visited Hana in East Maui -- one of them as far back as October.

Yesterday, Oahu recorded its first confirmed case of dengue fever this year, pushing back the likelihood that the island will be declared free of the mosquito-transmitted virus anytime soon.

The total number of dengue victims is now 98 statewide. Health officials confirmed 21 cases of dengue on Oahu last year.

Officials have said they like to have six-to-eight weeks of no reports of dengue fever before they declare an area dengue free.

State health officials said the new case involved a Kaneohe resident who had displayed the symptoms in mid-December.

On Maui, the most recently confirmed case was on Dec. 31, involving a Hana resident who contracted the virus in mid-November. There have been 72 confirmed cases on Maui.

Officials were more optimistic about Kauai, where confirmed cases of dengue fever have stood at four since Oct. 7.

"On Kauai, evidence to date doesn't suggest there's ongoing transmission," Effler said.

Effler said he is not about to call Kauai "dengue-free" and wants to continue health surveillance for dengue symptoms on the Garden Isle. But Effler said he is "absolutely" encouraged by the recent apparent lack of any confirmed cases on Kauai.

The virus is passed on from a contaminated mosquito to a human being and cannot be spread directly from one human to another.

Symptoms of the virus include a sudden high fever, headache, sore bones and a rash.

Those who think they have contracted the disease are advised to see their physician and to avoid taking aspirin and ibuprofen.