As the climate warms up and vector mosquitoes become more active, the dengue season is about to start in Southeast Asia. According to the surveillance data collected by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), a total of 37 cases of dengue fever have been reported in Taiwan thus far in 2011, including 22 cases imported from countries in Southeast Asia (7 from Vietnam, 4 from the Philippines, 4 from Indonesia, 2 from Thailand, 2 from Malaysia, 2 from Myanmar and 1 from Singapore).According to the surveillance data collected during the past years, local dengue outbreaks that occurin Taiwan every yearalmost always originate with imported cases.In addition, the majority of the imported cases confirmed in the past years came from countries in Southeast Asia.This year, the global surveillance data shows some countries in Southeast Asia are affected by worse epidemics.Therefore, Taiwan CDC urges travelers visiting Southeast Asia to take precautions against mosquito bites in order to prevent dengue virus transmission.

According to the global surveillance data, as the Philippines is experiencing a prolonged rainy season, the sentinel physician surveillance in the Philippines detected a total of 13,281 cases of dengue fever during January and February, 2011, reporting dengue fever cases earlier and more frequently with no signs of subsiding as compared to that during the past years.The Philippines’ Department of Health cautioned that the country might be facing a worse dengue epidemic this year.As the end of March, 2011, Cambodia detected a total of 231 cases of dengue fever, including two deaths in a 5-year-old child and a 10-year-old child, reporting more cases this year as compared to that last year (193 cases, including 1 death). As of March 26, 2011, Thailand reported a total of 5,723 cases of dengue fever, including 7 deaths.As of April 2, 2011, Malaysia reported 5,496 cases of dengue fever, including 9 deaths.As of March 26, 2011, Laos reported a total of 226 cases of dengue fever, including 0 death.As of April 2, 2011, Singapore reported a total of 886 cases of dengue fever.

Taiwan CDC reminds the public to avoid mosquito bites when visiting dengue-endemic areas by wearing light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants and applying officially approved mosquito repellent to exposed parts of the body. If suspected symptoms such as fever, headache, rash, muscle or joint pains develop after returning home, please seek immediate medical assistance and inform the doctor of the recent travel history to facilitate diagnosis. People planning to travel overseas can visit the Taiwan CDC’s website: http://www.cdc.gov.tw for the latest information on international epidemics and travel health information and download health education pamphlets or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922, for information on international epidemics and infectious diseases.