74 Dengue Fever Cases Are Now Confirmed
The number of confirmed dengue fever cases in Hawaii has reached 74, with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirming the first case of the mosquito-borne illness on the island of Hawaii.
Fifty-six of the cases have been on Maui, where the first locally transmitted cases of dengue began showing up in early September. One new case has been confirmed in Maui since last week, state health officials said.
Along with the confirmed cases, more than 300 reports of illness remain under investigation across the state.
The dengue virus--which causes fever, headache and rashes on the palms and feet--is believed to have entered Hawaii on people traveling from Tahiti or American Samoa, where the disease is epidemic.
Before the current outbreak, Hawaii had not had a locally transmitted case of dengue fever since World War II.
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