Massive dengue fever outbreak in Tainan under control: the Central for Disease Control

Chou Ji-hao, deputy director of the CDC under the Department of Health, confirmed that 55 residents in their 70s or 80s at the home for retired servicemen were confirmed to be infected with dengue fever.

He described this as a highly rare case because the number of patients in group infection of dengue fever usually does not exceed 10 people.

There are currently more than 400 people living at the elders home.

Chou said staff of the CDC and Tainan City’s health department have cleared all possible sources of mosquito breeding, with the airborne pest being the main culprit in spreading the fever.

All the residents at the place were provided with mosquito nets and their temperatures will be regularly taken in follow-up monitoring.

He also urged all institutions like the elders homes to maintain proper sanitation and guard against the spread of contagious diseases.

Those failing to abide by the regulations will be subject to fines between NT$10,000 and NT$150,000. Successive fines will be meted out if no improvements are made.

The elders home in the eastern district of Taiwan is under the jurisdiction of the government’s Veterans Affairs Commission.

CDC statistics indicate that a total of 315 cases of dengue fever were reported so far this year.

In view of the torrential rains brought by recent typhoons, all people should help clean up their living and working environments to make sure that all unused containers indoors and outdoors do not contain water, Chou said.

Receptacles with water are the major breeding grounds for mosquitos.

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