Hawaii County’s dengue fever outbreak grew by six confirmed cases Friday, with the total now standing at 136 people infected, according to an update from the state Department of Health.
Hawaii County’s dengue fever outbreak grew by six confirmed cases Friday, with the total now standing at 136 people infected, according to an update from the state Department of Health.
Also Friday, a new map provided by Hawaii County Civil Defense showed additional cases being identified in areas near Kealakekua, Pahala, Ocean View, Milolii, North Kona, Paauilo, Keauhou, Hilo and Pahoa, among other areas, since the map’s last update Nov. 30. At that time, the confirmed case total was 112.
The map also shows suspected cases in some areas being ruled out as dengue fever during the weeklong period, such as a single suspected case in Waimea, which now is classified as negative.
Since the start of the outbreak, with the earliest onset of symptoms being recorded Sept. 11, 369 potential cases have been reported and then excluded based on test results or not meeting case criteria.
Among the confirmed cases, 119 are Hawaii Island residents and 17 are visitors. Adults make up 106 of the infected persons, with children younger than 18 making up the other 30. Onset of confirmed cases now ranges from Sept. 11-Nov. 28.
Meanwhile, the effort to develop a vaccine to protect the world’s population from dengue continues. There currently are no licensed vaccines to prevent dengue or drugs to treat the illness. According to the World Health Organization, there are six vaccine candidates under evaluation in clinical trial.
On Thursday, Honolulu-based Hawaii Biotech Inc. announced it was awarded funding by the U.S. Army for the first phase of developing a dengue vaccine. The research contract is aimed at developing a more protective and faster-working vaccine for military personnel than other vaccine candidates currently in clinical trials.
Upon successful completion of the first phase, HBI can apply for phase II funding to continue development of the inactivated dengue vaccine. This will include expanding the work to all four dengue fever types. A successful second phase will allow the dengue vaccine into the third phase to conduct clinical trials needed for regulatory approval and commercialization.
Entering the third phase clinical trials soon is Takeda Vaccines, which has been working on a live attenuated vaccine for the four serotypes of dengue since about 2012, John Boslego, the chief of development for Takeda’s Global Vaccine Business Unit, said Friday. The vaccine is aimed at all — from tourists to business people to military personnel.
“(The virus) is still alive, but they are weakened so when they are inoculated into an individual, they replicate and induce an immune response that we believe will be protective, but not cause the disease,” he said.
Phase II work showed a positive immune response to the vaccine.
“We are rooting along in clinical development,” Boslego said.
It likely will be at least another two years of studying the vaccine for efficacy before the pharmaceutical company can seek regulatory approval, Boslego said. Thereafter, the time frame for the vaccine to hit the U.S. market depends on “how important the disease is perceived by the regulatory bodies.”
It’s not uncommon for the process to take more than a decade from the get-go, he added.
“It is in development. Takeda is certainly one of the ones the farthest along,” he said.
People seeking general information about dengue fever and the current outbreak can call 211. Those Big Island residents wanting to report a suspect case or mosquito concerns should call 974-6001 in East Hawaii and 322-4880 in West Hawaii.
If you are ill and worried you might have dengue fever, health officials say to contact your health care provider.
For more information, visit http://health.hawaii.gov/docd/dengue-outbreak-2015/.
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
Email Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com.