State Officials Confirm Hawaii's Second Case of the Zika Virus

Photo by Freeimages.com/Pavel Nahly

The Honolulu Star Advertiser is reporting that state officials recently reported the second confirmed case of Zika in Hawaii.

The individual, a Kauai resident, had recently traveled to Latin America and may still be infectious, state health officials said. 

They advised the person to stay indoors and to protect himself/herself from mosquitoes. No other information about the individual will be made available in order to protect medical privacy, according to the health department.

A Vector Control team will be sent to the person’s home to determine if treatment to control mosquitoes is needed, the health department said. According to West Hawaii Today, there have been no reports of Zika being transmitted within the state this year. Four cases of Zika were reported in Hawaii last year, and two in 2014.

In early February, Hawaii’s Governor David Ige declared a state of emergency for mosquito-borne illnesses, including Zika and dengue fever. 

The latter has been an especially urgent concern, with over 250 confirmed cases of dengue reported during the current outbreak.

The first case of infant brain damage reported in the United States came from Hawaii, where a child with microcephaly was born to a woman who lived in Brazil early in her pregnancy.

In addition to the South American and Caribbean countries noted as sources of Zika infection, the virus is active on Pacific islands, including American Samoa, which enjoys regular air travel with Hawaii.

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for more updates on this story. Be sure to follow Travel Agent's Joe Pike on Twitter @TravelPike.