State fights dengue fever with ‘Fight the Bite’ initiative
The state has launched a campaign to spread awareness to dengue fever as the number of confirmed cases on the Big Island continues to climb.
The state Department of Health confirmed six more cases of the mosquito-borne disease Tuesday, bringing the total number of recent cases acquired on the island to 33. Officials have responded with a “Fight the Bite” initiative to provide the public with more information on the potentially fatal disease and ways to prevent it from spreading, reported West Hawaii Today.
Health officials held a meeting Monday in Captain Cook, the region where officials believe most sick people may have become infected, to inform residents of what was being done to combat the outbreak.
“We are all working together. That is absolutely critical, especially in a time like this,” said Dr. Virginia Pressler, head of the DOH, before the meeting. “We do, in fact, have the resources we need.”
The department has coordinated its prevention efforts with staff from county and government agencies, said Mayor Billy Kenoi at the meeting. Officials started holding briefings on how to control the epidemic last week and have been in discussions with the Department of Education to ensure students are protected, he said.
Officials said that the dengue fever cases discovered so far have been older cases and that no new cases have been found. The people who have been sickened by the disease have either recovered or are currently in recovery.
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The latest string of dengue fever cases dates back to mid-September. Officials have narrowed down several possible areas where the disease has been transmitted on the Big Island, including Captain Cook, Naalehu, Volcano and the Waikoloa coast region.
There is no approved vaccine for the disease, and the only way to prevent it from spreading is to not get bit by a mosquito.
To prevent bites, officials recommend using insect repellent while outdoors, wearing long-sleeved clothing and long pants and avoiding the outdoors during the peak mosquito hours of dawn and dust.
