Dengue: Mayor Kenoi Declares ‘State of Emergency’

An Aedes aegypti mosquito is pictured here. The mosquito is one of two in Hawai’i known to spread the dengue virus. Hawai’i Department of Health photo.

Hawai’i County Mayor Billy Kenoi declared a State of Emergency in Hawai’i County Monday morning as the Big Island continues to face the dengue fever outbreak.

As of Friday, Feb. 5, a total of 250 individuals had been infected with the dengue virus since the beginning of the outbreak. Three of the individuals remained “potentially infectious” on Friday. Hawai’i Department of Health officials will update the numbers again Monday afternoon.

The State of Emergency will suspend the law that prohibits tires being accepted at County landfills as a means of effectively controlling and eliminating the dengue fever virus on the Big Island.

A State of Emergency for the island will last for a minimum 60 days, or until further notice from the Mayor’s office.

The mayor is empowered to declare a state of emergency when an emergency or disaster has occurred or there is imminent danger or threat of an emergency of disaster in any portion of the county, under Chapter 127A, HRS, Chapter 7 of the Hawai’i County Code, and Section 13-23.

Stay with BigIslandNow.com as we bring you the latest on dengue fever on the Big Island.