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CDC warns of resurgent dengue fever

Although Center for Disease Control (CDC) officials described a recent collective outbreak of dengue fever at a veteran's home in Tainan as "under control," they expressed concerns yesterday that recent rains could cause incidents of the disease to spike in Tainan if mosquitos are allowed to breed in puddles left by rain.

"We have already had a bad start to the season," said Wu Yi-chun (吳怡君), head of the CDC's fourth branch office. "The first case of dengue this year arrived early, in July, and the number of cases have accumulated fast."

"We are working hard to eradicate mosquito breeding sites," she said.

Meanwhile, CDC deputy head Chou Chih-hao (周志浩) described the recent outbreak of dengue at the Tainan Veterans' Home as "an highly unusual case."

A suspected case of dengue was first reported at the facility on Aug. 8. As of yesterday, 64 out of 555 patients and staff from the facility have been tested positive for dengue fever.

"We think the patients were all infected at roughly the same time but fell ill at different times due to individual differences in incubation periods," Chou said. "With steps taken to clean up around possible mosquito breeding grounds at the home, the dengue situation at the veterans' home is under control."

None of the dengue cases have developed into the more dangerous dengue haemorrhagic fever.
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