On June 25, 2013, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced 9 new indigenous cases of dengue fever and 5 imported cases of dengue fever were confirmed during June 18 and 24, 2013. As of June 24, 2013, a cumulative total of 56 indigenous dengue cases and 81 imported dengue cases have been confirmed this year. The ongoing dengue outbreaks in Xinyuan Township and Chunri Township and Chaozhou Township, Pingtung County have persisted and the number of dengue cases has been increasing sharply. As the summer vacation is approaching and Pingtung County is a popular destination in southern Taiwan among tourists, Taiwan CDC once again urges the public to clean up vector-breeding sites in and around their residences and take precautions against mosquitoes to prevent further spread of the disease.

The 9 newly confirmed indigenous cases all reside in Pingtung County: 3 reside in Chrunri Township, 1 resides in Xinyuan Township, and 5 reside in Chaozhou Township. Thus far this year, a total of 56 indigenous cases have been confirmed, including 40 cases in Pingtung County (29 cases in Chunri Township 4 cases in Xinyuan Township, and 5 cases in Chaozhou Township), 10 cases in Tainan City, and 6 cases in Kaohsiung City.

As dengue virus types 1-3 have been isolated from dengue cases reported in Pingtung County this year and dengue virus types 1-4 had occurred in southern Taiwan in the past, Taiwan CDC reminds the public that secondary infection with a different strain of dengue virus places people at risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever. During 2010 and 2012, the fatality rate of indigenous dengue hemorrhagic fever cases was as high as 20% (14/73). Hence, Taiwan CDC stresses the importance of cleaning up vector-breeding sites and taking precautions against mosquitoes to prevent dengue fever and the more deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Taiwan CDC urges travelers visiting endemic areas, including Pingtung County in Taiwan and countries in Southeast Asia, to take precautions against mosquito bites. Taiwan CDC emphasizes if symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, retroorbital pain, myalgia, and arthragia develop after returning to Taiwan, please seek immediate medical attention and inform the doctor of any recent travel history and activity to facilitate prompt diagnosis and case reporting.

Taiwan CDC stresses that everyone needs to participate in dengue control efforts in order to successfully contain the epidemic and urges the public to stay vigilant against dengue fever and take necessary measures such as draining water containers and cleaning up vector breeding sites around their residences as well as preventing mosquito bites to effectively prevent the spread of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever and protect their health and the health of their family. In addition, Taiwan CDC urges the public to take precautions against mosquito bites such as wearing light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants and applying officially approved mosquito repellent to exposed parts of the body to lower the risk of infection. Physicians are advised to be vigilant for and notify any suspected cases to the health authority immediately to facilitate implementation of subsequent measures that prevent further spread of the disease.   For more information on dengue fever, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-001922 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.