Dengue Fever Reported in Hawaii

Mosquito-borne illness a problem on Pacific islands

(HealthDay) -- The first cases of Dengue fever in 50 years have been confirmed in Hawaii, in a remote, rainforest area on the island of Maui, reports CNN News.

Twenty other suspected cases on the island have yet to be confirmed. They are the latest of more than 400 cases this year on Pacific islands, including Tahiti and American Samoa, says the report.

The disease is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Though rarely fatal, it has a more serious variation, called dengue hemorrhagic fever, that has a 5 percent fatality rate, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In its mild form, Dengue fever produces fever, headache and rashes on the palms and feet. The CDC also has a map showing where the disease has been prevelant.

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