Is dengue dead? Or just sleeping?

Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Monday, May 13, 2002

Dengue fever, whose unexpected appearance last fall gave Japanese tourists yet another reason not to come to Hawaii, seems to have gone into remission.

Maui County, where the outbreak began, has not reported an active case since February, according to health official Dr. Lorrin Pang. The statewide count topped 100 during the wet season but new cases fell off after that.

Sen. Kalani English (D-Wailuku-Kahului-Upcountry Maui) said, however, that efforts to control the mosquito population should continue in order to prevent a resurgence of the fever. Mosquitos are the vector for dengue, which can cause inflammation of the brain and death if not treated.

The Hawaii Legislature voted to provide funding to continue what had originally been considered a temporary project, the Emergency Environmental Workforce, which hired people to clean up areas where standing water provided mosquito breeding habitat. Gov. Cayetano has not yet signed or vetoed the bill.

"Our fragile environment and economy cannot sustain continued threats such as a recurrence of dengue fever," English said.

A Japanese Web site, which collected the views of Japanese tourists on their decisions to visit Hawaii or not, last year included dengue fever alongside terrorism as a reason why some chose not to visit the islands. Dengue is actually more common in the South Pacific than in Hawaii.

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