Risk of Transmission and Prevention Strategy Evaluation of Chikungunya Fever in Taiwan

Yen-Xun Chen, Jhy-Wen Wu, Ding-Ping Liu

2010 Vol.26 NO.25

Correspondence Author： Yen-Xun Chen

Abstract：

Recently, Chikungunya fever is continuously occurring in Southeast Asia where a popular travelling area is for Taiwanese people. To evaluate the risk of local transmission through importation and prevention strategy of this disease, we collected and analyzed disease data worldwide through literature review and Taiwan CDC Reporting System. Since Chikungunya fever was categorized as a notifiable disease in Taiwan from October, 2007, there were 26 imported cases by March, 2010. However, there was no local case noted in this time frame. The clinical signs include fever (65.4%), joint pain (11.5%) and cutaneous rash (19.2). The vectors of Chikungunya fever in Taiwan are Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse), in which the later ones are distributed throughout entire Taiwan areas. Thus, large scale of epidemic of this disease may occur if there is no effective disease controlling measure when the pathogen invades. The main strategies for transmission prevention of this disease include: (1) Enhancing health education, (2) population warning, (3) improving medical diagnosis and treatment capability, (4) strengthen pathogen vectors monitoring, (5) providing real time information, (6) establishing epidemic information, (7) controlling disease condition, (8) enhancing quarantine ability, and (9) preventing epidemics.