The Kaohsiung City Department of Health on Friday fined a man NT$60,000 for concealing his travel history from a doctor while seeking treatment for what was later confirmed to be dengue fever.
The man, in his 20s, from Kaohsiung’s Nanzih District (楠梓), joined an international group to do volunteer work in Myanmar from July 22 to July 31, the department said.
He developed a fever and started having pain behind the eyes a few days after he returned home, it added.
He went to see a doctor on Aug. 4, but did not mention his trip to Myanmar, where dengue is widespread, when the doctor suspected his symptoms were caused by dengue and asked about his travel history.
Health department inspectors visited the man the same day to ask him about his health condition and collected a blood sample for testing, as three other members of the volunteer group had reported dengue-like symptoms, but the man said he did not feel ill and continued to go to work, the department said.
Test results on Thursday showed that the man had dengue fever, and the department asked him to undergo further examinations, which found that he had low platelet levels and liver dysfunction, it said, adding that the man is now in hospital.
The department said the man had been commuting between home and work during the time he was infected with the dengue virus, which could be transmitted by a mosquito.
It said it has deployed about 200 people to take mosquito prevention measures near the man’s home and workplace, and fined him in line with the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法) for concealing his travel details.
Another member of the group, who is from Taipei, was also diagnosed with dengue, the Taipei City Department of Health said, adding that it has taken mosquito prevention measures.
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