Indigenous Dengue Fever Outbreak Caused by Importation at Luchu Township, Taoyuan County

I-Ling Lee¹、Chia-Ping Su²、Ta-Jen Chien²、Kun-Bin Wu³、Hsiu Shih²

2013 Vol.29 NO.6

Correspondence Author： I-Ling Lee

Abstract：

        A medical center in northern Taiwan notified a suspect case of dengue fever of a 33 years old man on September 19, 2012. The virus is different from the virus strains in southern Taiwan, but similar to a Cambodian strain in 2011, though the case had history of travelling to southern Taiwan. Epidemiological investigation revealed that the case had stayed at Taoyuan County during incubation and viremic period. Furthermore, two family members were found to have suspected symptoms during middle and late August, and were then confirmed as dengue fever. Further investigation found the relatives at neighbor had been touring to Cambodia in late July. Within three days after returning, one of the children had fever and diarrhea, and was confirmed by laboratory as the first case of imported dengue fever and thus caused the outbreak. A total of nine cases were confirmed as indigenous dengue fever infection. The outbreak was attributed to many factors including delayed diagnosis, delayed reporting, living in remote area, vacant lots, vegetable garden, and abandoned pig house with piled junks around the residence, and with level 9 container index, meaning high density of dengue vector. Since receiving the notification, the public health authorities immediately mobilized the manpower and other resources for disease control, and have taken integrated strategies including surveillance of mosquito breeding sites, environment sanitation, vector source reduction and chemical control for mosquitoes. Within a week, the authorities removed large quantity of positive vector containers and potential ones, rapidly reduced the vector density, and no further infection was noted.