On November 18, 2014, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) convened this year’s third “Dengue Epidemic Coordination and Management Meeting”, which was co-hosted by the Deputy Minister of MOHW Lin Tzou-yen and the Deputy MInister of EPA Chang Tzi-chin.  In addition to representatives from related central government agencies and local governments, 15 dengue experts were invited to attend the meeting to help formulate effective response measures to the ongoing dengue outbreaks.

This year, the world has faced more severe dengue outbreaks. During January and September, 2014, over 40,000 dengue cases were reported in China, which is 7 times more than that during the same period last year.  Other countries in southeast Asia, including Singapore, also reported several times more dengue cases this year.  Hong Kong also reported three locally acquired dengue cases since the last indigenous case that occurred years ago. Thus far, about 160 cases have been reported in the first local dengue outbreak seen in Tokyo in almost 70 years. With increased dengue incidence and increased severity of dengue outbreaks as a global phenomenon, the frequency of large-scale dengue outbreaks in Taiwan will likely increase.  Hence, one of the consensuses reached during the meeting is the establishment of a Dengue Virus Research Center to bring together experts in various fields, including epidemiologists, clinicians, and vector control specialists to work on developing or introducing latest dengue control methods and technologies in order to more effectively control dengue.

Four types of dengue virus have circulated in southern Taiwan during the past years.  In addition, people who have been previously infected with dengue virus are at increased risk for dengue hemorrhagic fever.  Taiwan CDC stresses that everyone needs to participate in dengue control efforts in order to successfully contain the outbreaks 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.  Simultaneously, the relevant central government agencies are to continue to reinforce the management and patrolling of houses and buildings managed by governments, vacant lands and vacant buildings to eliminate any possible vector breeding sites.

For more information on dengue fever, please visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922, or 0800-001922.