Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday ordered the Ministry of Health and Welfare to coordinate efforts with local governments on dengue fever prevention and control, in the wake of the viral infection spreading to 10 administrative regions.
As Taiwan sees a surge in cases, Chen instructed the ministry during a weekly Cabinet meeting to closely monitor the epidemic in the country and abroad, evaluate potential risks and prepare outbreak response resources, Cabinet spokesman Lin Tze-luen (林子倫) said.
The premier also ordered the ministry to convene a meeting with local governments to coordinate disease control efforts.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
As of Wednesday, 1,261 domestic cases of dengue fever had been reported in 10 regions, including 1,053 in Tainan, the worst-affected place, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said.
A total of 96 new domestic cases were reported on Wednesday, including 82 in Tainan and 10 in Yunlin County.
Pingtung County also recorded two cases, including one death — a 86-year-old woman with multiple chronic diseases — the second fatality associated with dengue fever this year, the county’s public health bureau said in a statement yesterday.
Meanwhile, Taipei on Wednesday reported a confirmed domestic dengue fever case, the first recorded in the city since 2020.
A teenager in Datong District (大同) who traveled to Tainan from July 21 to 23 developed a fever, chills and fatigue on July 30, before going to a hospital on Friday last week and being diagnosed with dengue fever.
Also on Wednesday, Hsinchu City and Miaoli County reported their first domestic cases of dengue fever since 2016.
Measures taken by local governments to prevent the disease caused by the dengue virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, include breaking the transmission cycle by removing stagnant water from potential mosquito breeding habitats, and disinfecting potential indoor and outdoor breeding sites.
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