The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday announced the country’s first death from dengue hemorrhagic fever this year as the number of infections continues to climb.
The nation has entered the peak season for the disease, with the number of new local cases reaching 18 in the past week — the highest number of new cases in a single week this year.
This year’s first victim of dengue was a 75-year-old woman from Kaohsiung’s Gushan District (鼓山). The woman was diagnosed with dengue on Aug. 17, suffering fever, headaches, joint and muscle pain, dryness in the mouth and lack of appetite.
Her condition initially stabilized after treatment, but on Monday she suffered an internal hemorrhage, decreased platelet count and excess fluid around the lungs.
A few days later, the woman, who had a history of heart disease, went into shock and was given emergency treatment. She died on Wednesday of a heart attack.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever can be deadly when an individual is first infected with one type of the virus — which is carried by mosquitoes — and a different type shortly thereafter, CDC deputy director-general Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) said.
The CDC is paying special attention to Gushan District, where almost a dozen cases have been reported in the past 10 days. Health officials were stepping up efforts to disinfect the area and educate the district’s residents on dengue fever prevention.
Water accumulated in containers and ditches around households should be emptied, as such environments serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Health authorities said that because of the heightened risk of the disease spreading, officials would step up efforts to warn residents and conduct inspections.
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