Taipei on high alert as first dengue case reported

爆發首例登革熱 台北高度警戒

Taiwan's capital records first indigenous dengue incident


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Measures are being adopted by Taipei City’s health authorities to enforce dengue control, as the capital of Taiwan has recorded its first indigenous dengue fever case of the year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, a male in his 30s who lives in Taipei's Daan District is confirmed to have contracted the mosquito-borne disease. The resident, who has not traveled abroad recently, has experienced symptoms including fever and muscle pain since Aug. 15 and received a positive diagnosis for the virus on Aug. 17.

Having been discharged from the hospital, the man was asked to continue treatment at home. No one he has come into contact with is showing signs of dengue, said the city’s Department of Health (DOH), but the source of infection has yet to be identified because the patient has recently visited Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Keelung.

A disinfection effort has been conducted around the neighborhood of the man’s residence. Action is also being taken to spray chemical insecticides in indoor areas of the administrative district, according to the DOH.

With locally-transmitted incidents of dengue on the rise, residents of Taipei are urged to guard against the epidemic by removing standing water from containers in their surroundings. Individuals who exhibit symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, pain behind the eyes, and skin rash are advised to get screened for efficient treatment.

Call the DOH hotline at 02-2375-3782 for more inquiries about dengue control.