Dengue fever feared to be escalating in Taiwan

A government worker sprays pesticide to kill mosquitoes. (CNA file photo)

Taipei, Oct. 2 (CNA) A dengue fever outbreak in Taiwan might continue to soar in October, with the number of new cases surpassing 1,000 per week from now on, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

Taiwan has seen 633 indigenous cases and nine imported cases between Sept. 23-29, with Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan alone accounting for 621 of the indigenous cases.

The municipality also reported 10 hemorrhagic dengue fever cases, with one fatality. The victim died Sept. 23, five days after being infected with the mosquito-borne disease.

As of Sept. 29, the CDC said, 3,231 dengue cases fever had been reported this year, ten times more than the number of cases during the same period of 2013.

The situation may have resulted from of hotter and more humid summer weather favorable to mosquito growth this year, according to CDC Deputy Director Chou Jih-haw.

Chou said the CDC fears the country could see more than 5,000 cases in 2014, which will make it the most serious outbreak since 2002.

The officials reminded people to keep their homes free of standing water and to make efforts to avoid mosquito bites.

Dengue fever is an infectious tropical disease spread by mosquitoes. The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and skin rash. In a small proportion of cases, the disease can develop into hemorrhagic dengue fever, which can be fatal.

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
ENDITEM/J

Related stories:
●Sept. 23: Record number of dengue cases reported last week: CDC
●Sept. 16: Hot, humid weather fostering dengue fever spread in Kaohsiung