On April 30, 2013, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced six new indigenous cases of dengue fever confirmed in Taiwan. As of April 28, 2013, a total of 23 indigenous cases of dengue fever and 58 imported cases of dengue fever have been confirmed in Taiwan this year. The six additional cases all resided in Qijia Village, Chunri Township, Pingtung County and they all live within 220 meters of the residence of the first indigenous dengue case confirmed in Pingtung County. As a result, it is determined that these cases constitute a geographic cluster. Of the cases, 4 sought medical attention at a clinic or hospital due to suspected symptoms. However, they were not reported to the health authority as suspected dengue cases. Hence, Taiwan CDC once again urges physicians in areas at risk for dengue fever to stay vigilant and reinforce reporting of suspected cases to facilitate timely implementation of prevention measures and prevent the further spread of the disease.  

   
According to the statistics compiled by Taiwan CDC, during Week 16 alone, the number of dengue cases confirmed in Singapore is as high as 515, reaching a record high in five years. Thus far this year, a cumulative total of 4,925 dengue cases have been confirmed in Singapore, which is higher than the total number of dengue cases confirmed in the entire year last year. In Thailand, as of April 24, 2013, a total of 24,272 dengue cases, including 28 deaths, have been reported this year, which is 3.5 times the total number of dengue cases, including deaths, reported during the same period last year (6,888 dengue cases, including 8 deaths were reported in Thailand last year). In addition, the numbers of dengue cases reported in Cambodia and Laos are both higher than those reported during the same period last year. In other words, the ongoing dengue outbreaks in Southeast Asia are more rampant this year compared to last year. Furthermore, as of April 28, 2013, 7 imported chikungunya fever cases have been reported in Taiwan, which is four times the number reported during the same period in the past three years, and all 7 cases are imported from Indonesia. Therefore, Taiwan CDC urges travelers visiting areas at high risk for dengue and chikungunya fever to practice precautions against mosquito bites throughout the trip to prevent infection.

In Taiwan, dengue and chikungunya fever are transmitted through Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Currently, no effective vaccine or medicine is available to prevent or treat the infectious diseases spread by these two vector mosquitoes. The most effective way to prevent infectious diseases spread by these vector mosquitoes is to prevent mosquito bites. Taiwan CDC reminds the public to stay vigilant 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 in the community. Taiwan CDC recommends travelers to wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants and apply officially approved mosquito repellent to exposed parts of the body in order to reduce the risk of dengue fever and other vector-borne infectious diseases when visiting areas affected by dengue and chikungunya fever. Taiwan CDC advises the public to seek immediate medical attention when suspected symptoms such as ever, headache, retroorbital pain, arthralgia, myalgia, and rashes develop, and inform the doctor of any recent travel history and activity to facilitate prompt diagnosis.
   

For more information on dengue and chikungunya 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.