State and County Officials Plan Dengue Status Update

Spraying operations being conducted on Nov. 2. DOH file photo.

A press conference will be held Wednesday afternoon updating the status of the Big Island’s dengue fever outbreak.

The Oahu meeting will discuss a new phase of response activities as no newly confirmed cases have occurred in over a month.

A case added to the dengue count last Friday was an old case, according to Hawai’i Department of Health officials.

Governor David Ige, Hawai’i County Mayor Billy Kenoi, Hawai’i County Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira, Director of Health Dr. Virgina Pressler, Major General Arthur “Joe” Logan, State Adjutant General and Director of the Hawai’i Emergency Management Agency, and George Szigeti, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawai’i Tourism Authority will be present.

On Tuesday, DOH announced via its dengue response and update website that the department would “continue to closely monitor for new cases of locally transmitted disease,” however, would not update numbers on a daily basis, beginning Wednesday.

In total, 264 cases of dengue have been confirmed on the Big Island since the outbreak’s September onset. The number includes 238 Big Island residents and 26 island visitors.The most recent illness onset was on March 17.