According to the statistics of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (TCDC), there have been four cases of dengue fever in the country this year (2022), all were imported cases from Indonesia and Vietnam. Among them, Taoyuan City had the first confirmed case of dengue fever on June 20. The case was a Vietnamese traveler arriving at Taoyuan International Airport on June 17, who was displaying symptoms of fever and was tested at the airport. The dengue fever test results were positive; upon receiving notification, the Department of Public Health, Taoyuan (DOPH) immediately commenced related outbreak investigations, breeding site cleanup, and chemical prevention and control operations in the area around the quarantine hotel where the case checked in.
Director-general Wang Wen-Yan of the Department of Public Health, Taoyuan (DOPH) explained that several parts of the country have received a good amount of rainfall, which along with high temperatures is conducive to the proliferation of vector mosquitoes. As the gateway to the country, Taoyuan City has requested district public health centers and the Environmental Maintenance and Inspection Division, Taoyuan to form a team. The chiefs of villages and neighborhoods, community volunteers, or district office officers have also been invited to take part in health education and removal of mosquito breeding sites in communities and neighborhoods. The general public was requested to rigorously “inspect, pour, clean, and scrub”, carefully inspecting containers with stagnant water both indoors and outdoors, and emptying stagnant water. Water storage containers in use should be scrubbed and covered with a lid or fine mesh. Common containers which mosquito larvae are found in, such as water buckets in vegetable gardens, water storage containers, household and landscaping plant pots, and discarded tires, should all be properly handled. Our environment should be cleaned up to eliminate hiding places for vectors and prevent viruses from entering the country.
The Department of Public Health pointed out that there are four types of dengue fever virus. When one is infected by a particular type of dengue virus, it may cause dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), a critical condition that results in severe bleeding, organ damage, and other symptoms. If not treated in time, the mortality rate is as high as 50%. The general public is reminded to take proper anti-mosquito measures, such as wearing light-colored long-sleeved shirts and pants, and applying approved DEET or Picaridin-containing mosquito repellents to areas of exposed skin. If you experience symptoms such as fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, or rash, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Medical institutions should be on their guard and strengthen inquiries into medical patients’ TOCC (travel history, occupational history, contact history, clustering history), and use the dengue fever NS1 rapid test that aids in diagnosis and early notification. We need to work together to keep dengue fever at bay.