[ OUR OPINION ]
Battle with dengue is
long-term struggleA tip of the hat goes to state public health and county officials as well as the public in the successful effort to control the outbreak of dengue in Hawaii. The task ahead will be to remain alert about eliminating mosquitoes, which carry the virus that causes the disease.
THE ISSUE The disease and the mosquitoes that transmit the virus are under control, but the risk remains.
Last summer, when reports about Maui residents contracting dengue emerged, it appeared that public health officials were reacting slowly. However, they rallied quickly to organize a comprehensive program to control the spread of the disease, drawing together county governments, businesses, volunteers and a temporary eradication work force of people left unemployed by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Besides eliminating mosquito breeding areas and identifying victims, the public was informed about the problem through door-to-door leafleting, television, radio and newspaper announcements and community meetings. It worked.
The state Health Department last week noted that the last confirmed case of dengue had been more than 13 weeks previous and because a mosquito's life spans about 60 days, it appears the epidemic is over, at least for now. The department, however, prudently refrained from declaring it so, knowing that as long as mosquitoes breed and bite and as long as people travel to and from places where dengue remains uncontrolled, the disease could easily recur in the islands.
Hawaii may have dodged a bigger bullet. The mosquito that carried the dengue virus in this last outbreak was the aedes albopictus, which experts say is an inefficient carrier. The more common and more effective mosquito is the aedes aegypti, which also thrives in Hawaii's permissive environment. Part of health officials' long-term strategy is to keep tabs on all mosquito populations and to eliminate them and their breeding areas. The public should do its part by continuing to clear standing water from containers and debris in yards and around homes.
Although dengue is not often fatal, its symptoms are severe and another outbreak could damage Hawaii's tourism industry, much as it did on Maui where the majority of cases occurred. As long as the potential for a serious public health threat remains, everyone should stay on dengue alert.
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Common sense ought
to allay nature’s risksLITERAL signs of our litigious times may soon overlay Hawaii's shorelines, trails and other natural areas if common sense doesn't prevail. Even as the state has an obligation to warn of possible and known dangers on lands and in waters it controls, it should be evident to any reasonable person that outdoor recreation carries risks.
THE ISSUE Warning signs at outdoor areas are only effective if people take heed and use their heads.
Before the state again opened Manoa Falls to sightseers Saturday, it placed prominent signs through the area, advising people that landslides -- like the one that closed the trail more than three months ago -- are a hazard. A wall of boulders as well as a cable that block the pool at the fall's base should provide ample notice that that portion is off limits. Still, it's not hard to imagine that the foolhardy will climb over both. Short of stationing enforcement officers, there is little the state can do to prevent such reckless behavior.
On Maui, the state Land Board has been discussing placement of permanent signs at Olowalu Beach where there have been three shark attacks in the past 11 years. Officials usually post shark-warning signs in an area for 24 hours after an attack, but remove them if there are no further shark sightings. Olowalu is known by local residents and ocean users for its population of sharks, which are attracted by the abundance of turtles and fish in those waters. Some argue logic would dictate that turtles and fish will draw the predators. However, others unfamiliar with the area may not be aware of them, particularly tourists who often view Hawaii as a benign Disneyland of nature.
It is not, so where probable danger is known to exist, a sign informing the unenlightened may be necessary. Yet no amount of caution signs, alert notices and barriers will deter those intent on risky business. They also will not stop those irresponsible few who are injured in those circumstances from filing lawsuits. If that were the case, the state would be covered with signs from one end to the next. A balance of responsibility and sensible conduct are the only mechanisms that can avert peril in the outdoors.
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Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, Publisher
Frank Bridgewater, Editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
Michael Rovner, Assistant Editor 529-4768; mrovner@starbulletin.com
Lucy Young-Oda, Assistant Editor 529-4762; lyoungoda@starbulletin.comMary Poole, Editorial Page Editor, 529-4790; mpoole@starbulletin.com
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