Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Taiwan's Kaohsiung Suffers Dengue Fever Threat
Southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung is suffering from most serious Dengue Fever threat in 14 years, with 383 people being infected by the mosquito-borne disease this year,said a report from Taipei Monday.
Southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung is suffering from most serious Dengue Fever threat in 14 years, with 383 people being infected by the mosquito-borne disease this year,said a report from Taipei Monday.
Ten of the 383 reported cases involve the more fatal Dengue hemorrhagic fever and all of the cases have been confirmed as having originated in Taiwan.
In Taipei City, despite the fact that there hasn't been a single Dengue Fever case reported, health officials put some districts on red alert against a possible outbreak as the density of the mosquito population has reached as high as the fourth level-- 20-34 mosquitoes or mosquito larvae found in every 100 households.
Taipei's health officials urged residents to undergo a medical checkup if they have traveled to Southeast Asia or southern Taiwan over the past two weeks as health authorities have developed Dengue Fever symptoms such as a sudden high fever, severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, or muscle and joint pains.
Four years ago, almost all the reported cases of Dengue Fever in Taiwan, including cases of the more fatal Dengue hemorrhagic fever, were found to have originated from abroad, brought in by returning visitors to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries,said the report.
In late 1980's, Taiwan suffered a most serious Dengue Fever threat with thousands of cases reported in Pingtung, Kaohsiung and Tainan in southern Taiwan.