Hawaii Reports 11th Travel-Related Dengue Case
The Hawaii Department of Health has recorded an 11th dengue fever case this year linked to travel, with no known local transmission.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Diseases — General
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The Hawaii Department of Health reported the state's 11th travel-related dengue fever case in 2026, involving a person who recently returned to Oahu from a region where dengue is common. DOH teams inspected mosquito control in the affected area on Oahu.
Why it matters
Dengue is not established in Hawaii, and the state's mosquitoes are capable of carrying the virus, so imported cases raise the potential for local spread. Health officials say the expected risk of transmission from this case is low.
The state's count of 11 travel-related dengue cases in 2026 is based on case reports to the Hawaii Department of Health, which has not connected this case to any earlier infection in the state. Dengue is a year-round risk in tropical and subtropical areas including Central and South America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, several Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean, but the source does not say whether the patient was infected at a specific location.
The players
Hawaii Department of Health
The Hawaii Department of Health is the state agency responsible for public health surveillance, disease reporting and vector control, and it reported the case and inspected mosquito control in the affected area on Oahu.
The details
The infected person recently returned to Oahu after traveling to a region where dengue is common, and no connection has been found to previous cases in Hawaii. Dengue spreads from an infected person to a mosquito and then to another person, and mosquitoes need only small amounts of standing water to breed.
Timeline
2026: The state has recorded its 11th travel-related dengue case this year.
Recently: The infected person returned to Oahu from the dengue-prone region.
Four to six weeks before travel: Health guidance recommends that travelers review country-specific information.
Health Landscape
Hawaii's count of travel-linked dengue cases reflects the state's position as a point of entry for travelers from Pacific and Asian dengue-endemic regions, where the Department of Health tracks imported infections through its vector-borne disease surveillance program. The case fits a pattern in which dengue remains a traveler-associated disease in Hawaii even though the state's mosquitoes are capable of transmitting it.
Travelers planning trips to dengue-prone areas should review country-specific travel information at least four to six weeks before departing. Residents should also remove standing water around homes, since mosquitoes need only small amounts to breed.
The takeaway
Travelers returning from dengue-prone regions should watch for fever and seek care, since imported cases are the main source of dengue in Hawaii. Preventing mosquito breeding around the home remains the most effective local step.
Further reading
For more on infectious illnesses, see Diseases — General in Hawaii health coverage.
More information
Read the state guidance on mosquito control and prevention from the Hawaii Department of Health.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KITV Island News.
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