Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday said that local dengue cases this year have reached the second-highest in a decade, but mosquito larvae density and dengue cases have slightly decreased recently, which means actions in the next two to three weeks would be crucial in controlling the local outbreak.
Chen made the remarks during a report on the outbreak at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the first local case on June 13, and the number of cases had increased to 9,380 as of Thursday, which is the second-highest for the period in the past 10 years, lower only than the 15,992 cases in 2015, Chen said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Most of the cases reported this year were in Tainan, with 8,450, followed Yunlin County with 403 cases, Kaohsiung with 339 cases, and 188 cases in 13 other administrative regions, he said.
“The possible reasons for the serious outbreak this year include the upstick in international and domestic travel after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, and climate conditions, which were also unfavorable for dengue prevention,” Chen said.
World Meteorological Organization data showed that June to last month were the hottest three months ever recorded, while typhoons caused heavy rainfall and floodwater, both leading to more mosquitoes, he said, adding that dengue cases in some Southeast Asian countries are also more than previous years.
In response to the local outbreak, Chen said that ministries have been holding dengue control meetings every two weeks since July to integrate the operations of the central and local governments.
The CDC established a mobile task force in late June to supervise the diagnosis, risk assessment, and vector control in dengue hotspots, he said, adding that it set up a dengue forward response task force led by CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), which is currently stationed in Tainan.
To detect suspected dengue cases faster and take responsive measures, local clinics were encouraged to use government-funded dengue NS1 antigen rapid tests, Chen said.
According to the latest data from Tainan, the mosquito and larvae densities are reducing, and dengue cases in the first five days of this week were down 11 percent from last week, Chen said. “However, we cannot let our guard down, the next two to three weeks will be a critical period [for controlling the local dengue outbreak].”
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