KONA, Hawaii – Governor David Ige gave an update on Hawaii’s mosquito situation during a community talk story in Kona Friday night.
Speaking at the new Hawaiʻi Community College – Pālamanui campus, Ige talked about the state’s readiness to deal with potential outbreaks (like zika) in the future, thanks in large part to the efforts of Hawaii County and its response to the dengue fever outbreak that began in 2015. Ige also talked about how the National Guard mobilized to help dispose of spare tires on Hawaii Island. Tires are known to be effective breeding sites for mosquitoes.
There are no longer any cases of dengue on the Big Island, but Ige said the state still plans to carry out a Fight The Bite campaign to clean potential mosquito breeding grounds. Ige said he’ll have more information on that effort soon.
Kona State House Representative Dr. Richard Creagen, who took an active role during the 2015 dengue outbreak, was also in attendance.
