Volunteers help to tell public how to battle dengue
| • | Online special: Dengue fever: health crisis in the making |
By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer
Volunteers across O'ahu passed out fliers yesterday around neighborhood parks and shopping centers, advising residents to eliminate mosquito breeding areas and prevent the spread of dengue fever.
State health officials yesterday reported no new confirmed cases of dengue fever. The number of confirmed dengue cases in Hawai'i remains at 48, with 222 cases under investigation statewide.
Dr. Paul Effler, chief of the state's epidemiology division, said he doesn't expect more test results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory in Puerto Rico until later this week.
State health officials don't think many of the 222 suspected cases will turn out to be dengue fever.
The first confirmed dengue case on O'ahu was reported yesterday. There are 45 confirmed cases on Maui and two on Kaua'i.
As part of a city-planned effort, hundreds of volunteers, including Gail Nakamura of Pearl City, passed out leaflets to residents with advice for getting rid of bulky items and debris that could lead to the breeding of mosquitoes.
Volunteers also hit the parks where soccer meets were going on, then the University of Hawai'i football game last night at Aloha Stadium.
"I just wanted to do my part," Nakamura said while going door-to-door in her community.
Government officials are concerned about leftover containers and old tires left outside that may collect standing water and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Mayor Jeremy Harris said city refuse crews yesterday picked up 250 tons of bulky items from neighborhoods — from tires to sofas — bringing the overall total collected to 1,000 tons.
"The whole goal is to get people to clean up their yards to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes," Harris said. "Doing so would greatly reduce the risk because mosquitoes actually travel only a few hundred feet during their life span."
Harris said city crews will continue to pick up bulky items during regular trash pickups.
"Our promise is if you leave it out on the curb, we will come pick it up," he said. "We'd like to nip this in the bud because once this disease gets away from you, it's very difficult to control."
Yesterday's volunteers were not responsible for cleanup duties. City crews are responsible for cleaning O'ahu streams.
Crews have sprayed insecticide in more than 600 areas around the state to keep mosquitoes down.
Harris said his administration will decide whether to hold another volunteer effort in the following weeks.
"The volunteer effort is an outreach program," the mayor said. "While we're responsible for maintaining city property, we're not empowered to go into people's yards to retrieve those items."
For details about dengue fever and prevention, visit the Web site for the state Department of Health.
