Taiwan reports 5 additional dengue deaths as total cases top 13,000
Taiwan reports 5 additional dengue deaths as total cases top 13,000
The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported five additional dengue related deaths last week, bringing the total deaths this year to 20.
Tainan City continues to be the dengue hotspot in the island country. Of the 2,542 new local cases of dengue fever in the country last week (September 26 to October 2 this year), 2,309 were reported in Tainan City.
This brought the country total to 13,036 total local cases, the second highest in the same period in the past 10 years
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Of this total, 11,770 cases were reported in Tainan City (90 percent). In addition to Tainan, cases were reported this year in Kaohsiung City (542), Yunlin County (449) and Pingtung County (79). The capital city of Taipei has reported 18 cases.
Both dengue virus type 1 and type 2 (DENV1 and DENV2) are circulating in Taiwan.
The CDC reminds people to wear light-colored long-sleeved clothes and pants when doing outdoor activities, and use mosquito repellents approved by government agencies containing active ingredients such as DEET, Picaridin or IR-3535, and take anti-mosquito measures to reduce mosquito exposure.
If you have fever, headache, retroorbital pain, muscle and joint pain and other suspected symptoms, be sure to seek medical treatment as soon as possible and inform the doctor of your travel and activity history. Also ask the doctor to inquire about TOCC, be alert, and use dengue NS1 rapid screening reagents in a timely manner.
The Department of Disease Control and Prevention explains that the epidemic of dengue fever is deeply affected by the environment. The El Niño phenomenon has begun to develop since the summer of this year (2023). High temperatures have continued in various places, and the southern region has been hit by multiple typhoons in the past two months, all of which have added disadvantages to epidemic prevention. Factors, and the temperature in various places has been relatively high recently, and the climate conditions are suitable for the growth of vector mosquitoes. The public and the government need to work together to reduce the number of containers, dredge ditches, strengthen environmental inspections inside and outside the home, thoroughly eliminate breeding sources, and take preventive measures against mosquitoes. infection and jointly curb the harm of dengue fever.