[ OUR OPINION ]
The number of typhus cases in the state this year may not be of epidemic proportions and there appears to be no reason for residents to be unduly alarmed. Still, the report of the 10th case moves Hawaii to the outer range of what is considered normal, and the public should be careful about exposure to mice and other animals that may carry the fleas that transmit the disease. Typhus cases call for caution
while keeping our cool
THE ISSUE An Oahu man is the 10th to contract typhus this year as the mouse population in Hawaii increases.
Most of the cases have occurred on Maui, but the latest confirmation involves a Waianae man who was hospitalized, but fortunately suffered no serious complications. The worry is that because of a larger, more urbanized population on Oahu, typhus could spread more quickly and widely.
The mice that appear to be hosts for the fleas aren't a significant problem on Oahu, the Department of Health says. The mouse population boom is primarily in rural areas. Their numbers have quadrupled on Maui, Hawaii and Kauai, and residents on Molokai report catching the rodents by the bucketful. Officials blame the wet winter for the boom and the dry weather this summer for forcing mice from their usual feeding grounds to inhabited areas.
A medical officer with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the number of typhus cases per year in Hawaii ranges from one to 10. Having logged No. 10 this week, it would be prudent for the public to take heed. The Health Department has advised residents to take measures to control rodents in and around their homes. Because fleas will flee a dead host, people should be mindful also when disposing of trapped mice, and treat areas with flea spray.
On Maui, the county's Emergency Environmental Work Force has been setting traps to catch the creatures. The work force is the only remnant of a statewide program set up after Sept. 11 to provide jobs and tackle environmental problems. Although some considered it a make-work program, its formation was timely when dengue fever broke out and teams were sent out to eradicate mosquitoes and clear away the insects' breeding grounds. After Governor Cayetano vetoed a bill that would have continued the program, Maui County wisely allocated funds to retain its teams until the end of the year.
The state and the CDC aren't pushing the panic button on typhus, and they shouldn't until it's necessary. At the same time, residents should be extremely watchful of mice and other vermin, at least until their numbers abate.
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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
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