According to the statistics compiled by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) for Dengue Outbreak, a total of additional 308 indigenous dengue cases were confirmed in Taiwan on November 21, 2015, including 285 cases in Kaohsiung City and 10 cases in Tainan City. The number of new cases reported in Kaohsiung City is 42 cases less than that reported during the same day last week, while the number of new cases reported in Tainan City is 13 cases less than that reported during the same day last week.

As dengue activity stays at its peak in Kaohsiung City and the weather remains warm and intermittent rains continue in southern Taiwan, the public is once again urged to remove and clean vector breeding sites in and around the households in order to effectively prevent dengue transmission. On the other hand, as the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) completed the fifth phase of vector site cleaning program in Kaohsiung City, they would soon begin to evaluate the outcome of the cleaning program. On November 21, 2015, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) Director-General Dr. Steve Hsu-sung Kuo attended and participated in the “Experts Forum for Dengue Control and Prevention Strategies” convened by the Kaohsiung City Government, which discussed several issues, including emergency response for dengue prevention and control, dengue awareness promotion, case reporting and clinical management, and climate change on dengue fever occurrence. The Kaohsiung City Government had planned to reinforce dengue awareness promotion at the hot spots of the outbreak and implement vector control program at the village level, which would be later evaluated.

Since this summer, a cumulative total of 36,507 indigenous dengue cases, including 22,520 cases in Tainan City, 13,293 cases in Kaohsiung City, 245 cases in Pingtung City and imported and sporadic cases in other cities and counties, have been confirmed. Thus far, a cumulative total of 158 deaths, including 112 deaths in Tainan City, 44 deaths in Kaohsiung City, and 2 deaths in Pingtung City, were found to be linked with dengue infection. 32 deaths, including 30 from Kaohsiung City and 2 from Tainan City, are still waiting to be reviewed. Currently, 56 dengue patients are being treated in the intensive care unit. 92.7 % of the total reported cases, which is 33,827 patients, have recovered.

CECC for Dengue Outbreak advises that when dengue fever is diagnosed, please follow the doctor’s instructions in completing the treatment, drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, and rest at home as much as possible to prevent the further spread of the virus through mosquitoes. In addition, the public is urged to take precautions against mosquito bites when traveling. Outpatient services that use rapid tests to diagnose dengue fever have been set up in 20 hospitals in Kaohsiung City, including Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital and E-Da Hospital. Further, a special care clinic for dengue patients has been set up in 6 hospitals in Kaohsiung City, including Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Municipal Cijin Hospital, Yuan’s General Hospital, Kaohsiung Municipal Min-sheng Hospital, Naijung Hospital, and Linyuan Hospital. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).