Breitbart.com is reporting that Hawaii’s Governor David Ige declared a state of emergency for mosquito-borne illnesses on Sunday, 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 Associated Press (AP) reports there have been no reported cases of local Zika transmission in Hawaii. However, 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.
Six residents of Hawaii are known to have contracted Zika during travels to the outbreak areas, according to the Breitbart.com report.
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, according to the report.
For the Breitbart.com report, click here and keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for more updates on this story.