TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control announced Tuesday that four new domestic dengue fever cases were reported last week (Sept. 23–29), three tied to a cluster in Taoyuan City and one in Yilan County.
The three Taoyuan cases share a common exposure history with the local case announced on Sept. 25, leading officials to classify it as a community cluster, while the source of infection in Yilan remains under investigation.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Li Chia-lin (李佳琳) said the four newly confirmed cases are three men and one woman in their 40s and 50s. The three Taoyuan cases developed symptoms between Sept. 26 and 27.
Two of the cases were detected through expanded testing by health authorities, while the other was confirmed after seeking medical attention. Health authorities have conducted mosquito density surveys and cleared breeding sites around the residences and workplaces of the cases.
CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said there have been 17 domestic cases so far this year — 12 in Kaohsiung, four in Taoyuan, and one in Yilan — and that the situation will be monitored through Oct. 28.
Local medical institutions are being asked to increase vigilance. The CDC also urges the public to cooperate with prevention and control measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
In addition to domestic cases, the CDC said there have been 181 imported cases this year, the second-highest over the same period in the past six years, the majority originating in Southeast Asia.
The CDC reminds the public to patrol and clean their communities and empty water containers to eliminate mosquito populations. When outdoors, wear light-colored, long-sleeved clothing and use government-approved repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or IR-3535.
If you experience symptoms suggesting dengue fever, such as fever, headache, eye pain, muscle and joint pain, or rash, seek medical attention promptly and disclose your travel history.
Medical institutions are also asked to be vigilant and intensify inquiries about patients’ travel, occupational, contact, and cluster histories. Facilities can use dengue NS1 rapid screening reagents to assist diagnosis and report early to facilitate public health measures.
