With the addition of four autochthonous cases Friday, Hawaii health officials now put the state’s dengue fever outbreak at 23. Of the confirmed case, 15 are Hawaii residents and 8 are visitors. 21 cases have been in adults; two have been pediatric.

Aedes aegypti/CDC
Aedes aegypti/CDC

The outbreak has prompted health officials to issue a letter to Hawaii residents and visitors on how to prevent the mosquito borne virus.

While the outbreak has been located on the Big Island, the health department says the risk of dengue spreading to other islands is low.

Mosquito control teams on the Big Island have been spraying areas in an effort to kill adult mosquitoes to keep dengue fever from spreading.

State epidemiologist, Dr. Sarah Park said, “It’s likely an infected traveler infected the local mosquito population, which led to this cluster”.  Local transmission means that mosquitoes in the area have been infected with dengue and are spreading it to people.


Dengue fever of multiple types is found in most countries of the tropics and subtropics particularly during and after rainy season. In the United States, dengue outbreaks have been seen in Hawaii, Texas and Florida.

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 100-200 cases are reported annually, mostly in people that have traveled abroad.



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