The number of indigenous dengue cases reported in southern Taiwan is on the rise.According to the disease surveillance data compiled by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), over 600 indigenous dengue cases have been confirmed in 5 cities and counties.In response to the rampant dengue epidemic, on October 21, 2010, the Executive Yuan established the “Central Epidemic Command Center for Dengue Epidemic” to coordinate and supervise relevant disease control activities and efforts.

The Commanders of CECC for Dengue Epidemic are the Minister of the Department of Health Chih-Liang Yang and the Minister of the Environmental Protection Agency Stephen Shu-Hung Shen.A command post will be set up in southern Taiwan.The Deputy Director of Taiwan CDC Wen-Yi Shih and the Director of the Southern Branch of Bureau of Environmental Inspection (BEI) Jian-Rong Lai will be stationed at the command post to supervise the execution of frontline disease control activities and ensure unified action in containing the dengue epidemic.

According to Commander Yang and Commander Shen, the primary strategies employed to contain the dengue epidemic include reducing the number of containers and elimination of vector breeding sites in the community.Further, to prevent vector mosquitoes from breeding, southern Taiwan will be given precedence over the other parts of Taiwan in inspections and investigations on buildings, agencies and lands managed by central agencies that identify the presence of vector breeding grounds.CECC for Dengue Epidemic will continue to work closely together with the local governments in each city and county in the nation.The public is urged to check for vector-breeding sites, drain water-filled containers and clean up vector breeding sites around their residences to ensure environmental hygiene.The dengue epidemic can be brought under control through the joint efforts by the central and local governments and the community.

The central government has undertaken aggressive steps towards dengue control.This year, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have allocated over 70 million dollars for financing dengue control efforts to cities and counties at increased risk for dengue transmission in southern Taiwan.In addition, EPA is administering this year’s nationwide three-level multi-stage mobilized dengue vector breeding site inspection and evaluation program based on the past experiences.Thus far, EPA has conducted the inspection twice in 24 cities and counties in the nation and 7 counties and cities in southern Taiwan in May and August, respectively.EPA is conducting the inspection for the third time this year during October 21 and December 10.The three levels of inspection are: local (conducted by local administrative offices in villages), municipal (conducted by departments of environmental protection and health bureaus in each city and county), central (conducted by BEI of EPA and Taiwan CDC of DOH).The inspection is aimed to ensure elimination of vector breeding sites in and around residences. Further, the government asked media companies to produce special reports on TV and wireless and wired television stations to broadcast promotional short films about dengue control.Local television stations in cities and counties that are more seriously affected by the dengue epidemic were also asked to broadcast the short films to remind the public to take the necessary precautions and clean up vector breeding sites.

To prevent further transmission of dengue, DOH and EPA began collaborative inspection that identify the presence of vector breeding sites at 5 cities and counties that are more seriously affected by the epidemic beginning October 12. Anyone found in violation of the Communicable Disease Control Act or the Waste Disposal Act for failing to clean up vector breeding sites will be indicted and punished accordingly in order to ensure effective dengue control.

On the other hand, the Council of Labor Affairs has dispatched over 400 people to help clean up vector breeding sites at 5 cities and counties in southern Taiwan.In the near future, CECC for Dengue Epidemic will add more personnel that stationed at the command post in southern Taiwan to provide support to the local governments and assist in the implementation of related control measures.

CECC points out that everyone needs to participate in dengue control efforts in order to successfully contain the epidemic 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.For any questions or further information on dengue fever, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Case Reporting and Consultation Hotline 1922, or visit the CECC’s website: http://Dengue.nat.gov.tw.