TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nine people tested positive for dengue fever on Monday (Sept. 12), and authorities responded by orchestrating a major neighborhood cleaning operation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the first domestic case of dengue fever in Kaohsiung was reported on Monday (Sept. 5). A 60-year-old man with no international travel history was hospitalized after experiencing symptoms that included fever, headache, soreness, joint pain, and diarrhea.

Between Tuesday (Sept. 6) and Sunday (Sept. 11), 826 people were tested for dengue fever.

As of Monday, nine cases distributed in three villages within Kaohsiung's Qianzhen District have been reported. Additionally, all cases were infected with the DENV-1 viral strain, which led the CDC to believe the cases to be a local cluster.

To prevent the virus from spreading further, health authorities conducted neighborhood cleaning, a vector mosquito density survey, and emergency chemical sprays. They will also continue to trace patients’ contact history and test people in relevant locations.

The CDC urges the public to see a doctor as soon as possible if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms: fever, headache, pain in the back of the eye, muscle and joint soreness, or a rash.

As there is an increased chance of rain throughout the country, the CDC also asks households to ensure sanitation both inside and outside their residence.

So far in 2022, the CDC has recorded 11 domestic dengue fever cases, which include the nine in Kaohsiung and two in Taichung. There have also been 32 imported cases, with 19 traveling from Vietnam, six from Indonesia, two from the Philippines, two from Singapore, one from Thailand, one from Myanmar, and one from Honduras.

Sanitation workers dispose of discarded furniture as part of the neighborhood cleaning operation. (Facebook, Kaohsiung City Government Department of Health photo)