Taiwan reports most chikungunya cases since 2007
The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced Tuesday that there have been a total of 11 imported cases of chikungunya virus so far this year, the highest number since it was listed as a statutory infectious disease in October 2007.
The infection areas are mainly Southeast Asian countries, with Indonesia being the largest. The most infected countries were Indonesia (9 cases), followed by the Philippines and Sri Lanka (1 case each).
There have also been a total of 44 imported cases of dengue fever, the second highest in the past five years. The most infected countries were Indonesia (21 cases), followed by the Philippines (8 cases) and Vietnam (5 cases).
Globally, chikungunya is mainly concentrated in Brazil (73,935 cases/63 deaths) and the epidemic on the French island of Reunion this year, which is severe, accounting for nearly 40,000 cases and 9 deaths.
The CDC explained that the mosquito vector for chikungunya is the same as that for dengue fever. The disease is transmitted through the bite of a virus-carrying Aedes albopictus or Aedes aegypti mosquito. The incubation period of chikungunya is 2 to 12 days. The viremia period is from 2 days before to 5 days after the onset of the disease. Symptoms of infection include sudden fever, joint pain or arthritis (especially the small joints, wrists and ankles of the hands and feet), headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, muscle pain, and about half of the patients will develop a rash; the symptoms last for 3 to 7 days. Unlike dengue fever, some patients infected with chikungunya will experience fatigue for weeks, and some patients will have joint pain so severe that they cannot move, which lasts for weeks to months or even years. Typical dengue fever does not cause long-term joint pain. Chikungunya is not as severe as dengue fever, and death is rare. However, newborns infected at birth, people over 65 years old, or those with a history of hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease are at risk of complications or serious illness from chikungunya.
The CDC called for action as the recent domestic temperatures have gradually risen and there have been occasional rainfalls in various places, which are conducive to the breeding of disease-carrying mosquitoes and increase the risk of community infection and transmission. The most effective way to prevent chikungunya and dengue fever is to eliminate the breeding sources. People should regularly check the indoor and outdoor environment, thoroughly remove containers of stagnant water to prevent the breeding of disease-carrying mosquitoes; and implement mosquito prevention measures. Wear light-colored long-sleeved clothes when going out, and use government-approved mosquito repellents containing active ingredients such as DEET, Picaridin or IR-3535 on exposed skin to reduce the chance of being bitten by mosquitoes.