As state health officials work to contain the Big Island’s dengue fever outbreak, residents and county agencies are prepping to better fend off infected mosquitoes. ADVERTISING As state health officials work to contain the Big Island’s dengue fever outbreak, residents
As state health officials work to contain the Big Island’s dengue fever outbreak, residents and county agencies are prepping to better fend off infected mosquitoes.
The state Department of Health on Thursday continued training sessions for workers with the Hawaii County departments of Public Works and Parks and Recreation on how to spray areas with insecticide, said Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira.
“Aqua-Reslin is a regulated product that can only be sold to and applied under the direction of the state Vector Control office,” he said. “We’re training county parks and public works staff to complement and enhance the Department of Health’s capacity … and it will allow parks and public works personnel to treat their own facilities if needed.”
Currently, the only spraying being done on the Big Island is by only four Department of Health Vector Control workers based here.
A total of 14 Parks and Recreation workers underwent the training Thursday, according to department spokesman Jason Armstrong. They were being trained as applicators and as trainers to teach other employees.
“Right now, we’re relying on the state Health Department. They’re taking the lead in this matter,” he said. “They’re providing the training, the equipment and the insecticide.”
There are no current plans for the parks department to spray its own facilities, except for those identified by the DOH as potential exposure sites for the disease, he said.
Oliveira said Hookena Beach Park was being sprayed for the second time Thursday, as a follow-up to the application that initially closed the popular park last week. It remains closed.
Meanwhile, the county is taking precautions to eliminate standing water at county properties and parks, Olivera said.
“We’re clearing gutters and making sure we address standing water issues. And reporting any need for surveys from the Department of Health,” he said.
The ongoing “Fight the Bite!” campaign continues to alert residents of the dangers associated with exposure to infected mosquitoes, with public service announcements, pamphlets and a website all providing information about how to keep mosquitoes away and how to limit their breeding opportunities.
Health officials warn residents to avoid trips to areas with heavy mosquito populations, and are advising people to wear long sleeves and pants and to use insect repellants, including the chemical DEET.
East Hawaii residents appear to be getting the message, with barren insect repellent shelves greeting many shoppers at retail stores.
An employee at Home Depot said the store just received a shipment of repellent Monday, but the store already was sold out by Thursday. The person said they did not know when the next shipment might arrive.
The KTA Super Stores on Puainako Street had two cases of repellent on the shelf, with not much left in the warehouse, according to warehouse supervisor Ryan Pedro-Villanueva.
“Our shelf was empty, and we brought in more (Thursday),” he said.
Oliveira said he was told KTA expected another 350 cases of repellent to be delivered soon.
A customer service representative at Wal-Mart said the store hadn’t been selling a lot of repellent, but more than usual.
Thursday afternoon’s update from the Department of Health revealed only a single additional case of dengue fever was added to the ongoing tally of confirmed cases identified in Hawaii. Thirty-four cases now have been identified, with onset of illness ranging between Sept. 11 and Nov. 2.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park said the single addition to the list of confirmed cases wasn’t necessarily a sign the dengue virus was contained.
“It’s still too soon to tell,” she said. “The lab is busy testing everybody. Some will turn positive, and some will be negative.”
She said in addition to spreading the word about the outbreak to the public, the Health Department is working to better inform its own employees at all levels to deal with some confusion residents have experienced when calling for help with dengue questions.
“We’re finding that people are calling various numbers here. … Our phone circuits are really busy, and they’re reaching people who aren’t directly involved with the outbreak. We’re working on trying to rectify that by informing everyone else throughout the department,” she said.
People with general questions about dengue and the outbreak, including mosquito-control tips, can call 211. Those who think they might have dengue are encouraged to contact their health care provider or a community health center to be evaluated.
Those who think they previously had dengue but did not see a provider at the time are asked to call the state disease reporting line at 808-586-4586.
Those with specific issues related to mosquitoes around their property can contact their respective District Health Office in Hilo (808-974-6006), Kona (808-322-4880) or Waimea (808-887-8114).
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
