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First dengue case of summer identified in Tainan County
MORE TO COME:
A bad season could be on the cards as the first cases of indigenous dengue fever are not usually identified until the end of summer
By Angelica Oung
STAFF REPORTER, WITH STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, Jun 26, 2007, Page 2
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported this summer's first indigenous case of Dengue fever yesterday.
The patient is a 21-year-old male resident of the Annan (安南) district of Tainan County.
According to a CDC press release, the patient fell sick on June 9 after exhibiting symptoms including fever and joint soreness.
He made a number of visits to medical care professionals after his symptoms failed to improve despite treatment. Eventually he documented as a possible Dengue fever case by a medical center.
out of hospital
"The patient did not have the hemorrhagic type of dengue," said CDC deputy chief Lin Ting (林頂). "As of the 21st [June], he had left the hospital."
Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever are acute fever-causing diseases. Dengue is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes which tend to bite just after dawn and just before sunset.
"The Breteau index is at level four, meaning that the outbreak was a matter of time," Lin said.
The Breteau index is a larval index that estimates the number of infested containers per number of inspected houses.
Although 16 other indigenous dengue fever cases have been confirmed by the CDC this year, they occurred before March, making them the last cases of the previous year's Dengue fever season.
Historical trends indicate that the first cases of indigenous dengue fever of the year usually occur in September in Taiwan. However, the first cases last year and this year have occurred in June.
season
"The earlier the first indigenous case occurs, the worst the season is likely to be," Lin said.
The CDC believe that the latest indigenous case was the result of a virus reintroduced by travelers from abroad rather than an overwintered virus from last season.
"The gap of three month between the last case of last season and this case means that the virus did not overwinter," Lin said, adding that an overwintering virus, either due to a mild winter or inadequate mosquito control, usually means a dengue season of epidemic proportions.
The CDC has documented 40 cases of dengue fever patients who entered Taiwan so far this year.
"But there could be more that we have not identified," Lin said.
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