healthmedicinet

The Hawaii mother and baby are not infectious according to the state’s Department of Health, so there is no risk of transmission on the island. 

But Hawaii’s Big Island is currently battling the state’s largest outbreak of dengue fever, another mosquito-borne illness, in 50 years. More than 200 cases have been reported between Sept. 2015 and Dec. 2015.

Dengue fever, which can violently affect adults, is transmitted by some of the same mosquitoes as Zika, though it is not thought to affect fetuses in the same way.  

The pattern of dengue fever in Hawaii is concerning, however, because according to The New York Times, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control “recently predicted that Zika would follow the same pattern that dengue has, with local transmission during hot weather in tropical parts of the country, including Florida, the Gulf Coast and Hawaii.” 

According to Dr. Park, Hawaii’s current Fight the Bite campaign aims to address all mosquito-borne illnesses, not just dengue.

“They all can be combated in the same way,” Dr. Park told HuffPost, after highlighting the need for a state-wide campaign that raises awareness and educates the public on the dangers of mosquito hot-beds like standing water.