Tag Archives: Hawaii

Hawaii Reports Additional Cases of Dengue Fever

The number of people infected with dengue fever in Hawaii is climbing, officials said Monday.

The Hawaii Department of Health reported that it was investigating 167 total cases of the mosquito-borne illness, which can lead to fatal consequences in extreme cases. There were 122 confirmed dengue cases as of Dec. 2, signifying 45 additional infections in about three weeks.

State health officials said only three of the 167 cases are currently infectious. The other people got sick between Sept. 11 and Dec. 10, so they are no longer at risk of transmitting the disease.

The health department also reported there were 659 additional potential dengue infections that had been ruled out, either through test results or the illnesses failing to meet the case criteria.

Dengue isn’t endemic (regularly found) in Hawaii, though health officials said it can occasionally be brought in from travelers who got infected in endemic regions. But this latest outbreak on the Big Island is unique because it’s the first cluster of locally acquired cases since 2011, when Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) records indicate five people got sick in Oahu.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an arm of the United Nations, dengue is transmitted when an infected mosquito bites a human. The infection generates a flu-like illness — from which most people usually recover within a week — though it sometimes progresses to severe dengue. In those instances, people can suffer organ impairment and severe bleeding.

The WHO estimates severe dengue hospitalizes about 500,000 people per year, and about 2.5 percent of them die. Dengue is much more common, with some estimates indicating as many as 136 million people falling ill every year, but non-severe cases of the disease are rarely ever fatal. Symptoms can include severe headaches, swollen glands, joint and muscle pain and a high fever.

The Hawaii outbreak reflects a global trend in which dengue is spreading to new locales.

The WHO reports the disease was traditionally found in the tropics and subtropics, but it’s now endemic in more than 100 countries and about half the world’s population is at risk of infection. Still, early detection and access to good medical care keeps the mortality rate below 1 percent. Without those, the WHO says severe dengue can be fatal in more than 20 percent of cases.

Hawaii health officials say it’s still safe to visit the island. The department encourages travelers to use insect repellant and wear long sleeves and pants to help prevent mosquitos from biting.

Hawaii Dealing with Rare Dengue Fever Outbreak

Health officials in Hawaii are currently investigating more than 100 cases of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness that experts say can lead to potentially lethal complications in rare cases.

The Hawaii Department of Health says on its website that there were 122 confirmed dengue cases as of Wednesday. The disease isn’t endemic (regularly found) in Hawaii, it says, but it can occasionally be brought in from someone who traveled to an endemic region and got infected.

However, the department indicates this is a cluster of people who contracted the disease locally.

It’s the first such outbreak since a 2011 cluster of cases in Oahu, the department says. According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention records, only five people fell ill in that outbreak.

This cluster is on Hawaii Island, the big one. CNN reported that CDC officials were traveling to the island on Wednesday and bringing specially designed mosquito traps to help catch the bugs.

Of the 122 confirmed cases, the health department says 106 are residents of the island and 16 were visiting. Ninety three were adults and 29 were children. They began falling ill between Sept. 11 and Nov. 24. No deaths have been reported, but the disease has been known to kill.

The World Health Organization (WHO), an arm of the United Nations, says dengue causes a flu-like illness and is traditionally found in the tropics and subtropics. But it says the disease has rapidly spread to new areas in recent years and roughly half the world’s population is at risk.

The disease is carried by certain types of mosquitos and transmitted to humans through bites. Symptoms can include a high fever, severe headaches, swollen glands and joint and muscle pain.

Dengue itself is seldom deadly, according to the WHO, but in some instances it can lead to severe dengue. That can cause respiratory distress, severe bleeding and organ impairment.

About 500,000 people (most of whom are children) need to be hospitalized for severe dengue treatment every year, according to the WHO, and approximately 2.5 percent of those who develop the disease die. Severe dengue has been a major issue in Asia and Latin America, the organization says, and is one of the top causes of hospitalization and death for children there.

The WHO says detecting the disease early enough and having access to medical care facilities drops the dengue mortality rate below 1 percent. The Hawaii Department of Health says it’s still safe to travel to the state, and a CDC official told CNN that the overall risk of getting infected is low because mosquitos in the United States have not been known to transmit the virus well.

Earthquake Hits City of Volcano

A major earthquake struck beneath the Hawaiian city of Volcano on Saturday evening.

The 5.2 magnitude quake was the strongest of 94 quakes that have struck the region in the last two weeks.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said that the quake caused no injuries and it doesn’t appear that any of the volcanoes are experiencing a major change in their activity.

“HVO monitoring networks have not detected any significant changes in activity at the summits or rift zones of Kilauea or other Hawaiian volcanoes,” HVO’s Scientist-in-Charge Tina Neal said.

Five aftershocks were recorded within an hour of the main quake with the strongest measuring magnitude 3.1.

The park is home to two active volcanoes including Kulauea, considered one of the world’s most active.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake did not cause a tsunami in the region.

Scientists Concerned About Changes On Hawaii’s Volcanoes

Small earthquakes and changes in the level of the lava lake are causing concern for scientists monitoring Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano.

“Activity at the summit of Kilauea Volcano continues to change, as shown by a pronounced drop in the level of the lava lake within Halema’uma’u Crater, a change in the summit area deformation pattern, and the concentrated earthquake activity in the southern part of the caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone” spokespersons with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a recent press release.

The pressure inside the volcano is to the level that an eruption is possible.  Sensors monitoring the ground show that there is deformation in the surrounding rock.

“The magma storage system within Kilauea is highly pressurized at this time, and future changes in the location of unrest, and the potential for eruption could unfold quickly (in days to hours),” said spokesmen with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

But it’s not just Kilauea that’s becoming a focus. Mauna Loa is also showing activity that indicates magma is on the move.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that Mauna Loa is showing inflation in the Southwest Rift Zone and summit areas.  There have also been minor earthquakes in the same area.

The scientists say the activity at Mauna Loa is lower than before eruptions in 1975 and 1984, however, the volcano has had periods of activity since 1984 without an eruption that has allowed pressure to continue to build within the mountain.

The HVO said they do not know how much pressure is involved or how much pressure the surrounding rocks can take before magma would move to the surface.

Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Experiences Very Slight Eruption

The partial collapse of a crater wall caused an explosion and eruption Sunday at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said that the small explosion spread lava and debris around the rim of the Halemaumau Crater.  USGS geologist Janet Babb compared the blast to striking the top of a bottle of champagne.

“You look at the bottle and you see the liquid, but you don’t see the gas,” she said. “There’s a lot of gas in the lava. And so, when that rock fall hits the lava lake, it’s like the moment you knock the top of the champagne bottle off and that gas is released and it hurls molten lava and rock fragments.”

Babb said the small eruption sent rocks flying about 280 feet into the air.

The lava lake had reached record levels last week, reaching a point where it could be seen from an observation deck for the first time since its construction.  The explosion was the first time that a lake similar to his one has been seen since 1974.

USGS scientists say the vent within the Halemaumau Crater has been rising and falling since it first opened.  A 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck the area Monday morning.

President Visits Troops on Christmas Day

President Obama and the first lady visited troops at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Christmas, thanking them for their service to the nation.

The President acknowledged the birth of Christ in his message to the troops.

“So on a day when we celebrate the Prince of Peace and many of us count our blessings, one of the greatest blessings we have is the extraordinary dedication and sacrifices you all make,” Obama said according to ABC News.  “We could not be more thankful. I know I speak for everyone in the entire country when I say, we salute you.”

The President spent the majority of the time talking about the end of the U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan at the end of the year.

“Next week we will be ending our combat mission in Afghanistan. Because of the extraordinary service of the men and women in the Armed Forces, Afghanistan has a chance to rebuild its own country. We are safer. It’s not going to be a source of terrorist attacks again. And we still have some very difficult missions around the world, including in Iraq,” Obama continued.

“We still have folks in Afghanistan helping the Afghan security forces. We have people helping to deal with Ebola in Africa and obviously we have folks stationed all around the world. But the world is better, it’s safer, it’s more peaceful, it’s more prosperous and our homeland is protected because of you and the sacrifices each and every day.”

Over 2,000 U.S. troops died during the Afghan war.

Vice President Biden and his wife visited troops at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

Lava Projects To Cut Pahoa In Half

As the lava flow from Kilauea continues to progress into the town of Pahoa, city officials are being informed by scientists that it’s likely the town will be cut in half if the lava continues its current path.

The flow is expected to reach Pahoa Village Road late Wednesday, cutting off one of the two major roadways where residents can escape the lava flow.  The second road, Highway 130, is only half a mile from the Pahoa Village Road.

Officials say they are resisting mandatory evacuation orders despite the lava igniting a tire fire at a dump in the flow path.  The toxic smoke from the fire is reportedly blowing away from residential areas.

Matt Patrick of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says the flow is moving erratically and is causing problems for forecasters trying to predict path and speed.

The lava’s pace had picked up when it reached a gully.  The flow could then move like rain in a gutter.

Hawaii To Let Residents Watch Lava Destroy Homes

The state of Hawaii has announced they will create a staging area where residents of the community of Pahoa will be able to watch the lava from the Kilauea volcano consume their homes.

Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira told the Associated Press it’s a way to help the residents find “a means of closure” in the situation.

The lava was reported to be 70 yards from the first home in its path on Tuesday morning.

A spokeswoman for the Hawaii Volcano Observatory said that the lava’s pace is being controlled by the topography of the area and in some places has slowed significantly as the lava moves up small inclines.

Oliveira says that many of the residents in the path of the volcano have already made arrangements to live somewhere else or have just left their homes in anticipation of the lava.  He said he doesn’t believe he will need to issue a mandatory evacuation order.

The last time lava threatened homes was in 2011, when one home was destroyed before the lava changed course.

Lava Threatens Hawaiian Town

The lava flow from a Hawaiian volcano is threatening to overtake a town.

The flow from the Kilauea volcano, which has been continuously erupting since 1983, has crossed the border of the community of Pahoa.  The flow covered the town’s cemetery over the weekend and is steadily progressing toward homes.

“The flow continues to remain active and has advanced approximately 275 yards since yesterday morning,” government officials reported Monday morning.

The Associated Press says the lava flow has been slowly moving toward the town for the last two years.  The governor has asked for a Presidential disaster declaration to make federal money available for evacuation and relocation of the town’s residents.

“The effect of the destruction and/or isolation of the businesses and other institutions in Pahoa will be devastating to the entire Puna District,” the governor wrote in his request, according to West Hawaii Today.

Tropical Storm Ana Threatening Hawaii

Hawaii could be facing another hurricane.

Tropical Storm Ana is moving toward Hawaii after increasing in strength from a tropical depression to tropical storm Monday.  Forecasters say the storm will likely reach Category 1 hurricane status before it makes landfall on the Big Island Saturday morning.

“Traditionally, tropical systems struggle to maintain strength as they approach Hawaii from the southeast,” said AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Evan Duffey. “However, abnormally warm water south of Hawaii could support an organized tropical system surviving into Hawaii.”

Even if the storm falls back to tropical storm status, it will still bring flooding, high surf, strong winds and heavy rain to the entire state.

The storm will be the second time this year Hawaii is hit with a major tropical storm.  Hurricane Iselle struck the islands in August, marking the first time since record keeping began in 1950 that a storm of hurricane intensity struck the islands.