The state’s health department revealed one confirmed case of Zika virus and two cases under surveillance.
The confirmed case was a person who had traveled from overseas, while officials have pinpointed two individuals who ‘may have been exposed’.
Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes species of mosquito, which also spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.
In the US, Zika virus cases are mostly travel-associated, with limited local transmission.
Zika virus symptoms are typically mild and may include fever, rash, headache, joint pain, red eyes and muscle pain.
For the first time in years, a virus spread by mosquitoes that causes paralysis and birth defects has been found in Hawaii.
One Zika virus case was confirmed by the state’s health department, and two more were under observation.
Two people have been identified by officials as “may have been exposed,” while the confirmed case involved a traveler from abroad.
Each of the three patients stayed on the island of Oʻahu and in the relatively uninhabited north shore communities of Haleʻiwa and Waialua. This is the first Zika case to be reported in Hawaii since 2019.
The Zika virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito species, which are also responsible for the spread of the dengue and chikungunya viruses.
They are widespread in the United States, especially in the southern states, including Florida and Texas.
In rare instances, the infection can result in blood disorders that can cause bleeding, bruising, or slow blood clotting, as well as damage to the brain, spinal cord, or nerves. However, most adults do not become seriously ill from the infection.
Pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, stillbirth, and preterm birth are associated with Zika infection, which can also result in severe birth defects.
The majority of Zika virus cases in the US are linked to travel, with very little local transmission. Annually, the number of cases has fluctuated greatly, peaking in 2016.
224 locally acquired cases were among the more than 5,000 travel-related cases that year. However, after reaching this peak, the number of cases fell sharply, reaching over 400 in 2017 before only 7 cases were confirmed in 2023.
The health department of Hawaii reports that it is keeping an eye on mosquito activity in the impacted areas and will “implement further control measures as needed.”.
It is being recommended that both locals and visitors take extra care to prevent mosquito bites and minimize mosquito breeding.
Wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants and applying insect repellent whenever you’re outside are two of the health advisory’s recommendations.
Additionally, islanders have been told to keep doors closed and make sure their insect screens are still in place.
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In the meantime, since standing water tends to attract mosquitoes, it should be eliminated from the area around houses and structures.
The Zika virus can spread from pregnant women to their unborn children and between individuals during unprotected intercourse once it has taken hold in a human host.
Semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, urine, and breast milk have all been found to contain the virus.
Fever, rash, headache, joint pain, red eyes, and muscle soreness are among the usually mild Zika virus symptoms. Usually, the symptoms last a few days to a week.
Asymptomatic Zika infections account for about 80% of cases.
According to the CDC, there is no treatment or vaccine to prevent it.
When the virus is transferred from the mother to the fetus, it can impact the fetus’s brain and result in microcephaly.
Heads that are abnormally small in babies with microcephaly can cause seizures, delayed development, and other disabilities.
Additionally, the virus may raise the chance that a fetus will have Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare condition in which the immune system attacks nerves, leading to paralysis and muscle weakness.
Although the mosquito species that can spread Zika is found in Hawaii, health officials claim that the virus is not well-established there.
As global temperatures continue to rise, experts on mosquito-borne diseases fear that new areas will experience warmer, more humid weather, which will create ideal conditions for mosquito populations to thrive.
Furthermore, mosquitoes have a greater chance of spreading diseases in new regions of the world due to their longer lifespans and wider range as temperatures rise and they migrate to areas where they were previously unable to survive.
The regions where Zika has been most common thus far are Africa, South East Asia, and Central and South America.
After more than 200 academics warned the World Health Organization about the virus outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016, there were concerns that the Olympic Games would have to be canceled that year.
