During November 5 and 11, 2013, 24 new indigenous cases of dengue fever, 6 imported cases of dengue fever, and 1 new case of dengue hemorrhagic fever were confirmed in Taiwan. According to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), the number of new indigenous dengue fever cases confirmed last week hit another new record high so far this year. Most of the new cases confirmed last week occurred in Pingtung County (14), followed by Kaohsiung City (9) and Tainan City (1). As the risk of dengue transmission remains, the public is reminded to continue to thoroughly clean and remove any indoor and outdoor water containers and vector breeding sources and be sure to continue to maintain the cleanliness of the environment to prevent further spread of the virus.

The new dengue hemorrhagic fever case confirmed last week is a 65-year-old female who resides in Pingtung City, Pingtung County. On October 27, she began to develop symptoms, including fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. On October 28, she sought medical attention at a clinic. She was reported to the health authority as a dengue fever case after seeking medical assistance three times. She was later diagnosed with dengue hemorrhagic fever. As of now, the case has completely recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Hence, Taiwan CDC urges physicians to be vigilant for patients with dengue fever, paying particular attention to patients presenting symptoms pertaining dengue hemorrhagic fever, and notify any suspected cases to the health authority immediately to prevent further spread of the disease.

Of the 24 new indigenous cases, most cases reside in Pingtung County: 7 reside in Pingtung City, 4 reside in Wandan Township, 2 reside in Xinyuan Township, and 1 resides in Chaozhou Township, 9 reside in Kaohsiung City, and 1 resides in Tainan City.

As of November 11, 2013, a total of 3 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever and a cumulative total of 248 indigenous dengue cases have been confirmed this dengue season. Among the indigenous dengue cases, 218 cases have been confirmed in Pingtung County, 18 cases have been confirmed in Kaohsiung City, 8 cases have been confirmed in Taipei City, 2 cases have been confirmed in Tainan City, and 1 case has been respectively confirmed in New Taipei City and Taichung City.

The number of new dengue fever cases confirmed last week reaches this year’s new record high and the new cases occurred in villages that were not affected by dengue fever previously. In addition, we have reached the peak of the dengue season and the outbreak continues to show signs of spreading. Therefore, the public is urged to take additional precautions to prevent dengue infection. Taiwan CDC urges people who have been previously infected with one or more types of dengue virus and those with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and liver disease to pay additional attention to dengue prevention and take personal precautions against mosquito bites to prevent dengue fever and consequently dengue hemorrhagic fever. Additionally, if symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, retroorbital pain, myalgia, and arthragia develop, please seek immediate medical attention and inform the doctor of any relevant medical history, recent travel history and activity to facilitate prompt diagnosis and case reporting. For more information on dengue 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.