Two new cases of dengue fever have been confirmed on the Big Island, health officials said Thursday.
Two new cases of dengue fever have been confirmed on the Big Island, health officials said Thursday.
Currently, three of the 258 confirmed cases remain potentially infectious to mosquitoes, according to the state Department of Health. Of the confirmed cases, 234 are Hawaii Island residents and 24 are visitors; forty-six have been children. The last onset of illness was Saturday.
Since the start of the outbreak in September, health officials have excluded 1,246 reported potential cases.
Dengue is a virus that is transmitted from an infected person to a mosquito, which can then infect another person. The best way to prevent the spread of the virus is to prevent mosquito bites by wearing light colored clothing that minimizes exposed skin, using mosquito repellent, and avoiding activities in areas of high mosquito concentration during the early morning and late afternoon periods, according to officials.