With 10 of the 14 cases of indigenous dengue fever confirmed so far this year in New Taipei City, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the New Taipei City Department of Health urged people to avoid mosquito bites and take measures to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
A woman in her 20s in Sinjhuang District (新莊) was last week confirmed to have contracted dengue fever, even though she had not gone abroad, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said on Tuesday.
The woman lives in Haishan Borough (海山里) near Cyonglin Borough (瓊林里), where several clustered cases were reported, indicating that the case might be linked to the outbreak, he said.
However, the woman’s symptoms were atypical and she was diagnosed five days after the onset of symptoms, Lo said.
The woman first reported developing a fever and muscle pain on Aug. 5, but it was misdiagnosed as a cold. She later developed a rash on her palm, which a dermatologist on Friday last week diagnosed as eczema.
Later that day, she sought treatment for a third time after rashes appeared on her thighs and was diagnosed with dengue fever after testing positive in an NS1 antigen rapid test.
People who develop dengue symptoms — which include fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle pain and rashes — should seek medical attention at hospitals that are able to administer the test, Lo said.
Among the 14 cases of indigenous dengue fever confirmed this year, 10 were in Sinjhuang, two were in Taipei, one was in Kaohsiung and one was in Chiayi County, the CDC said.
The agency urged people to eliminate stagnant water around their homes to prevent mosquitoes from breeding and to cooperate with local health agencies’ inspection and dengue control measures, adding that failing to observe dengue control measures would contravene the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法).
The New Taipei City Department of Health said it has sprayed insecticide at the home of the woman who was diagnosed last week, as well as surrounding indoor areas — including neighboring houses, rooftops and public areas in apartment complexes — within a 100m2 radius and outdoor areas within a 200m2 radius.
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