And they hope others won't either. Nahiku resident Bruce Stoner, his wife and two children all apparently contracted dengue fever in the last month. Contacted by phone at his home Wednesday morning, Stoner seemed more concerned about public reaction than his own personal health. It's a shame that the public has to hear about this.
Dengue is an infectious tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
Currently there is no vaccine to protect people from dengue, which causes debilitating high fever, severe joint and muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and rash. The number of suspected dengue fever cases in the remote East Maui communities has risen from 27 last week to 41 today. Only four cases have been confirmed as dengue by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but state Department of Health officials are proceeding as if all cases were confirmed. They have held a series of informational meetings, including a community meeting that drew more than 100 people on Monday night at Helene Hall. DOH has also set up a hot line explaining dengue, outlining preventive measures and encouraging people to notify the Health Department if they are experiencing any denguelike symptoms.