TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Dengue fever cases are continuing to spike at an alarming rate, especially in Tainan, where 200 cases were reported in a single day on Sunday (Sept. 10).
Mosquitoes are breeding in damp, flooded basements in old buildings and gutters that filled with silt and debris during recent heavy rains, according to officials. Including Tainan’s report of 206 new cases, Taiwan’s total number of dengue fever cases for the year is 5,462, reported UDN.
Among the patients who were confirmed with dengue fever on Sunday, the youngest was four years old, while the oldest was 94 years old, per UDN.
As the situation grows more severe, Tainan is rapidly dispatching workers equipped with pesticides and high-powered water jets to clean areas that are considered at risk. A Tainan city task force estimated that each district has between 200 and 1,000 abandoned residences, which may be breeding grounds for vector mosquitoes.
As of Sunday, 240 structures have been reported to the city government as likely breeding grounds for mosquitoes. City workers used high-pressure water jets to clean out the gutters and drains in these areas, and they sprayed pesticides to ensure that mosquitoes would not be able to continue breeding in the structures.
The city government warned that those living in older structures may be at greater risk of contracting dengue fever, especially tenants located on the first floor of basement residences that have not been adequately cleaned following recent storms and typhoons. Tainan City called on residents to ensure that they do not allow waste or standing water to accumulate in or around their homes.
If a property owner or resident is found to have allowed waste to accumulate inside or outside their living structure, they may face fines under relevant waste management regulations. If a property is found to be a breeding ground for vector mosquitoes spreading dengue fever, additional fines may be faced in accordance with the Communicable Disease Control Act, reported UDN.
A likely breeding ground for vector mosquitoes carrying dengue. (Tainan City Public Health Bureau photo)