Hawaii faces the largest outbreak of mosquito-borne disease since World War II.

We once had protection against Aedes aegypti, the main carrier of dengue outbreaks. It was all but wiped out in Hawaii until 2012.

In the 1943-1944 outbreak, there were 1,500 known cases of dengue fever. By comparison the last major outbreak in 2001 — mostly on Maui — had 122 confirmed cases, and 1,644 symptomatic cases.

At the present time, we have 241 cases confirmed on Hawaii island, and no end in sight.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito can spread dengue fever — as well as chikungunya, Zika fever and yellow fever. Other issues pale in comparison.

Who is going to invest in new resorts and hotels, if they know their potential customers may get dengue, chikungunya or Zika (a disease that causes brain deformities in infants)?

Those who don’t believe a small number of cases is important should look at what occurred in French Polynesia where mosquito-borne viruses quickly spread and more than 70,000 people were affected. It had a severe impact on the visitor industry there.

Accepting the reality of dengue means no more sitting out in the evening with friends. It also means being worried all the time in your house that you might get bitten while you sleep.

The disease causes severe pain and sometimes death. It disproportionately affects children, the elderly and those with chronic conditions.

There is no cure.

What kept Hawaii safe in earlier years was a dedicated Hawaii Department of Health Vector Control Branch, which dated back to the days of the Territory. At its peak in 2009, it had 56 staffers on all the islands and was able to do surveillance and organized, strategic insect spraying.

In 2009, during the recession, Gov. Linda Lingle cut the number of staff to 17 and got rid of the entire branch. The remaining workers were put into another office and did what they could.

But instead of being able to lay 200 mosquito traps per year at all the airports, ports and places of entry as they had for many years, they were limited to only 20 statewide — in a year that welcomed 6.5 million visitors. The early warning system was lost. Lost also were the years of institutional knowledge of where the mosquitoes breed and how to stop them.

Unfortunately, while this was happening, due to global warming, mosquito-borne diseases were increasing in areas from where many people travel to Hawaii. The virus is carried in their blood and transmitted by the mosquitoes.

State Department of Health officials have continued to plead for more resources.

Finally between 2013-2015, more positions were funded. However, of the 25 positions authorized, only 17 are currently filled.

Last year workers laid 85 traps on Oahu, 20 on the island of Hawaii and 47 on Kauai. There are no traps or vector control workers on Maui, Lanai and Molokai.

The state now receives 8.6 million visitors. We must demand that the Vector Control Branch be reconstituted and fully staffed.

This needs to be made a priority. If we do not act quickly, Hawaii will never be the same.