Hawaii’s Big Island declares emergency over dengue fever infections

Mayor of Hawaii County William Kenoi declared a state of emergency on Monday, which will be in effect for a period of at least 60 days.

Racine-based S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. said Tuesday it has donated 54,000 units of insect repellent to help Hawaii respond to an outbreak of a mosquito-borne illness.

Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi’s order has given permission to people on the Big Island to resume disposing of old tires in landfills, because tires which are left lying around are called the breeding spot for mosquitoes.

As West Hawaii Today reports, the declaration opens the way for Hawaii Gov. David Ige to make his own emergency declaration, which would provide state funds for mosquito-control efforts.

Ige promised on Monday that, should the epidemic require extra resources, the state would declare an emergency. Of the confirmed cases, 227 are Hawaii Island residents and 24 are visitors.

He stopped short of declaring a statewide emergency proclamation, saying that step would come should the outbreak spread to other islands or expand to include the Zika virus, among other factors. In 2001, a dengue outbreak on Oahu was primarily transmitted by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerted the dengue outbreak and provided tips for travelers to reduce their risk of infection.

The big Hawaiian island hasn’t had this many cases of dengue since 1940, making it the largest outbreak in decades. The virus can cause high fever, intense headaches, joint pain and rashes on arms, but it is usually not fatal.

Although dengue fever can be more severe than the Zika virus, officials have been focused on the latter due to the fact that there is evidence linking Zika virus to birth defect, microcephaly.