Investigation of an Indigenous Outbreak of Dengue Fever, Yingge District, New Taipei City, 2017

DOI: 10.6525/TEB.201806_34(11).0002

Yi-Ting Yang^＊, Yu-Fang Tsai, Hsiao-Ping Tung, Hui-Rong Liu, Jer-Jea Yen

2018 Vol.34 NO.11

Correspondence Author： Yi-Ting Yang^＊

Abstract：

In 2017, an indigenous outbreak of dengue fever broke out in the Yingge District of New Taipei City. Between September 27 and October 17, 2017, epidemic screening and hospital reporting confirmed seven dengue fever cases, who were all related to the same mountainous area of Yingge District.

The public health officials were immediately mobilized to implement preventive measures, including public announcements via multi-channel access. Healthcare providers from neighboring counties and cities were invited to enhance public awareness and residents were asked to assist in the removal of breeding sources. The outbreak was under control on November 6.

The effort to eliminate common mosquito breeding sources was difficult because the mountainous area was full of natural mosquito breeding sources and residents living inside the mountains were also hard to reach. Based on the experience of this outbreak investigation, we suggest that, in case a dengue fever outbreak occurs in a mountainous area, health authorities should identify a key person who is familiar with the local terrain and residents first, so that high risk areas could be located and people who are most at risk could be identified timely, in order to curb the spread of the disease.