During October 22 and 28, 2013, 22 new indigenous cases of dengue fever and 3 imported cases of dengue fever were confirmed. According to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), the number of new indigenous dengue fever cases confirmed last week hit a new record high so far this year. The number of indigenous dengue fever cases continued to increase in Pingtung County and the outbreak showed signs of spreading. In addition, none of the new indigenous dengue fever cases confirmed in Kaohsiung City during the past two weeks had visited Pingtung County prior to disease onset and they did not share the same exposure history. In other words, dengue viruses have been around in Kaohsiung City for some time. Hence, residents in Kaoshiung-Pingtung Area are urged to clean up vector-breeding sites in and around their residences in order to lower the risk of dengue transmission in the community.

Of the 22 new indigenous cases, 21 reside in Pingtung County and 1 resides in Taipei City. The case residing in Taipei City traveled to Pingtung County for vacation in early October where confirmed dengue cases were reported. Hence, it is speculated that the case became infected in Pingtung County.

As of October 28, 2013, a cumulative total of 202 indigenous dengue cases have been confirmed this dengue season. Among the indigenous dengue cases, 186 cases have been confirmed in Pingtung County (94 cases in Pingtung City, 36 cases in Chunri Township, 30 cases in Chaozhou Township, 11 cases in Xinyuan Township, 5 cases in Xinpi Township, 4 cases in Wandan Township, 1 case in Neipu Township, 1 case in Zhutian Township, 1 case in Ligang Township, 1 case in Wanluan Township, and 1 case in Linluo Township), 8 cases have been confirmed in Taipei City, 6 cases have been confirmed in Kaohsiung City, and 1 case has been respectively confirmed in New Taipei City and Taichung City. 

Taiwan CDC stresses 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. According to Article 70 of the Communicable Disease Control Act, anyone who refuses, evades or obstructs disease control measures such as inspection decided by competent authorities or fails to notify the competent authorities of the presence of vector breeding sites that is later identified by competent authorities or clean up vector breeding sites as requested by competent authorities may be fined NT$ 3,000 up to NT$ 15,000. 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.