This week, Taiwan CDC announced the fourth and fifth confirmed cases of indigenous dengue fever. Two patients who live in Lingya District of Kaohsiung City and did not display obvious symptoms of dengue fever infection were found to have dengue fever by disease control personnel during an expanded epidemic investigation. According to the surveillance data complied by Taiwan CDC, five accumulated cases of indigenous dengue fever that occurred during this epidemic season since March this year were all from Kaohsiung. They are two males and three females between the age of 39 to 61 and their onset of disease happened during 3/20-4/17. A cluster of cases (two cases) were geography-related among these incidents.
As of April 26, 2010, 92 confirmed cases of dengue fever, including 43 indigenous cases and 49 imported cases, have been reported this year. This year’s epidemic development is similar to that of the big epidemic in 2002 with the number of accumulated cases reaching more than five thousand. In addition, it is presumed that this year’s dengue cases happened three weeks earlier than before , which might be because Kaohsiung’s weather inFebruary and March. The average temperature during these two months in Kaohsiung this year is about 1.4~1.8℃ higher than that during the past 30 years. Thus far, the total number of cases this year has outnumbered that during the same period in previous years, indicating that an outbreak is warming up earlier this year. Taiwan CDC will continue to pay close attention to the development of the epidemic.
Taiwan CDC urges the public to stay on guard for dengue fever since the dengue epidemic has occurred earlier than previous years. Besides taking measures to prevent mosquito bites, the public should also mobilize and voluntarily clean up the vector breeding sites around their residences to effectively prevent the transmission of dengue fever and protect their health.
Taiwan CDC reminds all doctors to remain vigilant for suspected cases of dengue fever. If you experience symptoms similar to those of dengue fever such as fever, headache, nausea, fatigue, eye pain, muscle or joint pain, please seek medical attention as soon as possible. To help more accurate diagnosis, you can actively inform your doctor of your recent activities. If you are aware that you may be infected with dengue fever, please report to a local health authority and get a blood test. When you are confirmed as dengue fever, you will receive a reporting award of NT$ 2,500.
For latest epidemic news and further information on dengue fever, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline 1922, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at