HILO — The number of confirmed dengue fever cases on Hawaii Island jumped to 101 Wednesday as Civil Defense seeks to keep stores stocked with mosquito repellent.
The illnesses began between Sept. 11 and Nov. 17, according to the state Department of Health, which noted 88 cases involve Hawaii residents.
Melissa Viray, state deputy epidemiologist, said spraying and mosquito surveys will continue during the Thanksgiving holiday.
While the outbreak has passed the century mark, she said she remains optimistic since the number of new confirmed cases continues to vary.
“We’re not seeing an exponential increase, and I think that’s a good sign,” Viray said.
An outbreak that started in 2001 reached 122 confirmed cases, with 92 occurring on Maui, 26 on Oahu and four on Kauai.
The illness commonly is found in tropical areas and is spread by mosquitoes.
DOH also released a new map indicating risk levels for contracting dengue around the island.
Of note, Naalehu and Kailua-Kona were downgraded from high- to moderate-risk areas.
Captain Cook remained the only area listed as high risk, while Hilo, Mountain View, Pahoa and lower Puna were listed as moderate risk.
According to DOH, risk levels are determined by the number of confirmed cases and observed mosquito activity.
Viray said residents should remain cautious even in the lower-risk areas, since they still have suspected or confirmed cases.
Meanwhile, Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira said he spoke with the DEET Public Education Program on Wednesday about donating large amounts of repellent to the island.
He said he is assessing how much might be needed.
“We’re trying to come up with something responsible so we can see a realistic delivery,” Oliveira said.
He said his office also is coordinating with a DEET vendor on Oahu and Young Brothers to ensure shipments of repellent are expedited to Big Island stores.
“They are still running out,” Oliveira said, of local retailers.
He added that repellents with lower amounts of DEET, the active ingredient, are still effective if applied more regularly, so residents shouldn’t wait for shelves to be stocked with stronger varieties.
Oliveira said he is trying to set up a location on the island where wholesale deliveries of repellent can be stored to reduce delivery times.
“It will eliminate one more step getting to retailers,” he said.
Oliveira said he also is working with tourism officials to distribute fliers and cards regarding the outbreak to hotels and car rental companies in different languages.
Dengue symptoms include high fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash and mild bleeding, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
