During a recent dengue vector breeding site inspection, a recycling center owner locked up a number of public health personnel conducting the inspection in his recycling center.On November 11, 2010, the Central Epidemic Command Center for Dengue Epidemic (CECC) announced that the aforementioned recycling center owner has violated the criminal law, including interference with public duties and interference of personal liberty.According to the Communicable Disease Control Act, the recycling center owner faces a minimum fine of NT$60,000 up to 300,000.Hence, CECC urges the public to cooperate with the government efforts against dengue to avoid penalties.

CECC reminds that the ongoing dengue epidemic in Taiwan remains severe.The public should continue to follow government policies closely and clean up vector-breeding sites.Residents in areas that are not affected by the epidemic should also remain alert.CECC once again 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 Communicabe 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.

On the other hand, according to Article 38 of the Commnicable Disease Control Act, when outbreaks of a communicable disease, any personnel of competent authorities who need to enter public and private places for disease control practices need to notify the owners, managers or users of the public and private places in advance for them to be present at the site while implementing disease control practices.Anyone who refuse, evade or obstruct the implementation of disease control practices may be fined NT$ 60,000 up to NT$ 300,000 in accordance with Article 67 of the Communicable Disease Control Law.

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.