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Dengue fever epidemic sees its peak

  • 05 October, 2023
  • Amber Hatfield
Dengue fever epidemic sees its peak
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui. (Photo: Rti)

Taiwan’s local dengue fever epidemic is at a high point, however, the number of cases is not expected to exceed the scale seen in 2015, that’s according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧).

In an interview on Thursday morning, Tseng said there have been over 13,800 cases nationwide this year, with more than 12,500 being in Tainan City. Of these, there have been 76 severe cases and 20 fatalities. She pointed out that this year shows a different trend, with 37% of patients being over 60 years old, compared to around 25% in previous years.

In response to the outbreak, the central government has allocated an additional NT$150 million (US$4.6 million) in emergency funds for prevention and control efforts in Tainan City.  The dengue task force has also strengthened collaboration between central and local authorities. They are conducting hotspot inspections, chemical disinfections, and evaluations to enhance prevention and control measures.

Tseng says the total number of dengue cases this year is predicted to range from approximately 15,000 to just over 40,000. Dengue fever outbreaks are heavily influenced by environmental factors such as typhoons, rainfall, and temperature, making it difficult to predict accurately.

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