Publication Date February 8, 2016 | International Business Times

Amid Zika virus fears, Hawaii island declares state of emergency for dengue fever outbreak

United States
The mayor of Hawaii County declared a state of emergency in response to an outbreak of dengue fever, a virus transmitted by mosquitoes. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is known to carry dengue and yellow fever. Photo: Reuters
The mayor of Hawaii County declared a state of emergency in response to an outbreak of dengue fever, a virus transmitted by mosquitoes. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is known to carry dengue and yellow fever. Photo: Reuters

The mayor of Hawaii County on Monday declared a state of emergency in response to Hawaii’s worst outbreak of dengue fever since the 1940s. Dengue fever, a virus transmitted through mosquitoes, comes as the state confronts concerns about the Zika virus, another mosquito-borne illness, after a baby was born infected with it last month.

Since September, there have been 250 reported cases of dengue fever in Hawaii, according to the Department of Health.