On September 14, 2013, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) confirmed this dengue epidemic season’s first indigenous case of dengue fever in Sanchong District, New Taipei City in a 50-year-old male. In the evening of September 6, he sought medical attention at a clinic when he experienced symptoms, including fever, headache, retroorbital pain and muscle ache. On September 11, when his symptoms persisted, he sought further medical attention at a hospital and was reported to the health authority as a suspected dengue case. Dengue infection was later confirmed in the case. According to the epidemiological investigation, none of the people who reside in the same household with the case have developed symptoms pertaining to dengue infection. The New Taipei City Government has implemented various measures to prevent further spread of the disease, including conducting an expanded epidemic investigation, investigating the mosquito density in and around the case’s residence and places frequently visited by the case, conducting a thorough cleaning of vector breeding sites, and spraying insecticide.

As of September 13, 2013, a cumulative total of 93 indigenous dengue cases and 191 imported dengue cases have been confirmed this dengue season. Among the indigenous dengue cases, 83 cases have been confirmed in Pingtung County (36 cases in Chunri Township 11 cases in Xinyuan Township, 21 cases in Chaozhou Township, 13 case in Pingtung City, and 2 cases in Xinpi Township), 7 cases have been confirmed in Taipei City, 1 case has been confirmed in New Taipei City, and 2 cases have been confirmed in Kaohsiung City. On the other hand, this year’s imported cases primarily came from Indonesia (63 cases), Thailand (50 cases), and the Philippines (23 cases).

According to Taiwan CDC, over the recent years, indigenous sporadic cases of dengue fever have occurred in New Taipei City. In addition, a small-scale cluster of dengue fever merely occurred in New Taipei City in Yonghe District in 2008 and Wugu District in 2010. Thus far this year, the majority of dengue cases have occurred in Pingtung County. Nevertheless, sporadic cases have continued to occur in northern Taiwan, including Taipei City and New Taipei City. Moreover, this year’s number of imported cases (191) is 13% higher than that during the same period last year (168). As a result, the risk of dengue transmission is present throughout the nation.

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. According to Article 70 of the Communicable Disease Control Act, anyone who refuses, evades or obstructs disease control measures such as inspection decided by competent authorities or fails to notify the competent authorities of the presence of vector breeding sites that is later identified by competent authorities or clean up vector breeding sites as requested by competent authorities may be fined NT$ 3,000 up to NT$ 15,000. For more information on dengue fever, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-024582 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.