The number of dengue fever cases increased by five in Hawaii, bringing the total to 112 locally acquired cases on Big Island, according to the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) Monday.
The situation in Hawaii has drawn some criticisms of the HDOH, including from Kona Sen. Josh Green and Rep Richard Creagan who has been pushing for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist in the outbreak strategy saying the health department is out of its depth in the dengue fight.
According to a West Hawaii Today report, the state legislators will now get their wish. County officials and the state Department of Health have requested the consultation of the CDC and tomorrow, Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases is set to arrive to evaluate the efforts and share his analysis on the outbreak.
Peterson is set to stay through Thursday.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) also has a close eye on the dengue outbreak and is working with the Department of Health to ensure the website is up to date with information and advice on how tourists and locals alike can protect themselves.
In a statement last week, the HTA said:
“We will continue to work with industry stakeholders and our global marketing contractors to ensure that visitors to Hawaii know that it is safe to travel to the Hawaiian Islands and what precautions should be taken if they are planning to visit areas where cases have been found.”
Hawaii County Civil Defense and the DOH have added a new round of informational meetings on the disease:
Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Kohala High School cafeteria.
Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Pahoa High School cafeteria.
The HDOH has also added a one-minute You Tube video that describes the investigation process on the island. Watch HERE
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