Investigation of a Dengue Fever Infection in Linyuan Township, Kaohsiung County

You, Chiou-Yueh

2000 Vol.16 NO.7

Correspondence Author：

Abstract：

Major symptoms of dengue fever infection are high fever, headache, joint, bone and muscle path, retro-orbital path, and rash. Infection is caused by the subgenus dengue fever virus of the Flavivirus of the Flaviviridae family. The subgenus has four types of dengue fever viruses. The corresponding antigens are named DEN-i, DEN-2, DEN-3, alld DEN-4. infection by one type of virus will result ill life-long immunity against the virus. Heterologous immunity is rare. Ill Taiwan, the virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. All epidemic was reported in i779-i780 simultaneously in Asia, Africa, and North America, indicating that the virus and the vectors have been in existence for more than 200 years (1) . The epidemic recurs in a cycle of every 10 to 40 years. It became a worldwide pandemic starting in Southeast Asia after the Second World War, with infections of several serotypes occurring at the same time. Dengue hemorrhagic fever ( DHF) appeared for the first time in southeast Asia in the i950’s. In 1997, dengue fever became one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases of mall, comparable to malaria ill distribution. Epidemic areas cover a population of more than 2.5 billion, and yielding millions of cases each year, with thousands of DHF cases ill certain years(2) Fatality of DHF is about 5%. Very often, children and young adults are victims. The disease significantly affects society and the economy.