A Cluster of Travel Acquired Dengue Fever among Employees of a Company in Taipei City

Wei-Ling Pan, Chi-Min Wang, Hsiao-Ping Tung, Hwan-Feng Wang

2012 Vol.28 NO.13

Correspondence Author: Wei-Ling Pan

  • First Branch of Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan

Abstract:

A medical center in Taipei City notified a suspected case of dengue fever on March 29, 2012, affecting a 33-year-old man. Preliminary investigation revealed that he was one member of a tour group from a company, and was infected when traveled in Bali, Indonesia. The health authorities immediately obtained the list of the tour group, and collected blood samples from who developed suspected symptoms of dengue fever. A total of six travelers were confirmed by laboratory as dengue fever. Since receiving the notification, Centers for Disease Control in Taiwan (Taiwan CDC) has supervised the local health authorities to mobilize the manpower and other resources for epidemic prevention, and has taken integrated control strategy, including environment management, source reduction , removed breeding grounds of the vector mosquito sources, chemical control for mosquitoes, strengthening health education, reinforcing notification of suspected dengue fever cases by physicians, and sustaining syndromic surveillance for other members of the tour group. As of April 29 (the end of the longest incubation period), no further case was detected. This outbreak demonstrates a cluster of travel associated dengue fever infection among company employees in Taipei City. To continuously enhance health education on disease prevention since Taiwan citizens frequently visit Southeast Asian countries, and to implement control and prevention such as removing mosquito breeding sources, can avoid local transmission following communicable diseases imported.