In the afternoon on June 27, 2008, Taiwan CDC quarantine station at the Taoyuan International Airport, using a rapid test kit, successfully detected a positive case of imported dengue fever.The case happened to be a local person who traveled to Vietnam on a business trip on April 23, 2008 and stayed in Vietnam till June 27, 2008.Upon his arrival in Taiwan on June 27, 2008, an abnormality in his body temperature was detected by the fever-screening stand at the terminal.He was then temporarily detained, and blood samples of his were collected, which were immediately processed by the quarantine station personnel using a new rapid test kit for dengue virus detection.Only seventeen minutes after having officially entered Taiwan, the individual was diagnosed as dengue positive according to the test results.The quarantine station notified the traveler the result of the test right away, and asked him to report to the nearest hospital for medical attention.Simultaneously, notification about the case was submitted to the local health unit to initiate the case-tracking and managment routine.On the following day (June 28, 2008), Taiwan CDC Laboratory confirmed the case was indeed infected with Type I dengue virus.After being contacted promptly and directly, the case immediately went to the hospital after leaving his luggage at home.In addition, investigation of the alerted local health unit revealed that the case did not stay home for any length of time.Therefore, it was deemed unnecessary to perform mass spraying and sterilization. Instead, relevant health education was given to the people living in the case’s close neighborhood to prevent further possible transmission.On the other hand, after the case’s admission to the hospital, the hospital has carefully placed him in an isolated and mosquito-free environment.Thus far, the case has been in a stable condition.
Dengue fever is transmitted through the bites of virus-borne Aedes mosquitoes (such as A. aegypti and A. albopictus).Between one day prior to and 5 days after the onset of the disease, a very high concentration of virus is present in the patient’s blood, and this period is called “viremia”.During viremia, should the patient be bitten by vector mosquitoes, the mosquitoes could easily spread the virus to other people with no immunities against the disease.
In 2007, 179 imported cases of dengue fever were confirmed in Taiwan, among them, 41.3% were first detected by the fever-screening stand at air terminals.Those detected with abnormal body temperature were further confirmed by the quarantine station staff with an ear thermometer, and blood samples of those individuals were then collected for laboratory tests.Usually, it takes about two to three days before a detected individual can be laboratory-confirmed, rendering the disease, whatever it might be, an unfortunate window to spread.To overcome this efficiency shortcoming in the fever-screening system, Taiwan CDC decided to utilize the currently available rapid test kit for dengue fever.Earlier this year, a trial and evaluation project for introducing the rapid test kit into the fever-screening system was carried out.After a suitable test kit was chosen, Taiwan CDC started a front line personnel training program to familiarize the personnel with the practical use of the test kit.After the preparation phase of the trial and evaluation project was completed, the trial phase resumed at the Taoyuan International Airport on June 18, 2008.On the tenth day of implementing the trial phase; the very first positive dengue case was diagnosed using the rapid test kit for dengue fever.Above all, instant notification and close communications among the local health unit, the public, and the involving healthcare institutions can help ensure disease control resources and efforts are not wasted.
To cope with the upcoming dengue fever endemic and travel season, Taiwan CDC urges people traveling to regions where dengue fever is prevalent to try their best to prevent mosquito bites by wearing long sleeved and light colored clothing, using a mosquito net while sleeping, applying insect repellent to bare skin in order to minimize the chance of becoming infected with dengue fever through mosquito bites.If unfortunately having developed a fever or suspecting to be infected, you ought to cooperate with the quarantine and disease control personnel in order to determine the cause of your illness as soon as possible and effectively prevent further transmission of the disease to protect you, your family and neighbors.