More than 200 local dengue fever cases were reported last week, mostly in Tainan, and two severe dengue fever cases have been confirmed and hospitalized, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that it has issued a Level 1 (“watch”) travel notice for dengue in five countries.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said that 215 local cases of dengue fever were reported last week — 167 in Tainan, 33 in Yunlin County, 11 in Kaohsiung, two in Nantou County, and one each in Pingtung County and Taichung.
As of Monday, 846 local dengue fever cases had been reported this year, a 10-year high, with the cumulative total likely exceeding 1,000 this week, she said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
Lee said two severe dengue fever cases were confirmed last week, for a cumulative total of nine cases this year.
One of the severe cases was a man in his 60s living in Tainan who developed a fever, chills and shortness of breath late last month, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.
When he sought medical treatment, he was found to have a low platelet count and diagnosed with dengue fever, Lin said.
The other case is a woman in her 70s in Yunlin County who developed a fever and muscle aches in the middle of last month, Lin said.
The woman later reported a loss of appetite and abdominal pain, and was found to have a low blood platelet and white blood cell count, and a pulmonary infiltrate when she was taken to a hospital, Lin added.
The man’s chronic heart condition worsened after contracting dengue, and the woman suffered severe complications, including shock, respiratory failure and impaired consciousness, he said.
Both are being treated in intensive care units, he said.
CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) warned about the risks of contracting dengue fever during the typhoon season.
Typhoon Doksuri has just left, while Typhoon Khanun is approaching Taiwan, he said.
Studies have shown that heavy rainfall might wash away mosquito larvae, leading to a reduced larvae positivity rate and a lower mosquito index in the week after a storm, but they usually increase significantly in the second week after a storm, she said.
The CDC therefore urges the public to clean the indoor and outdoor environment near their home and remove standing water from containers after a storm to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds and prevent dengue infection, she said.
More than 3.05 million cases of dengue have been reported in the Americas this year, higher than the annual average, with Brazil reporting 2.37 million cases, Lee said.
Peru, Bolivia and Argentina are experiencing severe outbreaks, and dengue is also rising in Paraguay, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan.
As summer is peak travel season, the CDC has issued a Level 1 (“watch”) travel notice for dengue in the five countries, she said.
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