離開
進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Kaohsiung reports first dengue case of the year
Members of the Tainan Department of Health check for mosquito breeding areas in the city yesterday to prevent the spread of dengue fever. Photo: Liu Wan-chun, Taipei Times
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Kaohsiung City Government yesterday confirmed the first locally acquired dengue fever case in the city — the first case outside of Tainan.
Since the Centers for Disease Control （CDC） reported the first local case of dengue fever this year in Tainan on June 13, more have been reported in the city on a nearly daily basis. As of yesterday, a total of 58 cases had been confirmed in six districts in Tainan.
The Kaohsiung Department of Health on Sunday said it had received a report of a suspected dengue case, a woman in her 60s, who lives in the Kaohsiung’s Cieding District （茄萣）, but works in Tainan’s East District （東區）.
She had a fever, headache, muscle soreness, nausea, vomiting and a loss of appetite, and tested positive for dengue fever using a rapid test on Saturday, the health department said, adding that the specimen was sent to a laboratory to confirm the result with a polymerase chain reaction （PCR） test.
The PCR test result was expected yesterday afternoon, but the city government had already sent a team to clean and disinfect the woman’s home on Sunday, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai （陳其邁） said on the sidelines of an award ceremony yesterday morning.
The city had established a command center for coordinating dengue prevention operations on June 15, shortly after this year’s first local case was reported in Tainan, Chen said, adding that the city government has also notified doctors to be alert for dengue fever symptoms.
As mosquito larvae were found in water in containers at the woman’s home, the city government urged people to dispose of unwanted containers and frequently remove water from containers and ditches to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, he said.
The number of dengue cases in some Southeast Asian countries were three times the number reported last year, and as there are many people traveling between Kaohsiung and Southeast Asian countries, dengue prevention this year would come with challenges, Chen said.
The Kaohsiung Department of Health said people should seek medical attention if they experience symptoms of dengue fever such as a high fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and a rash.
They should also inform the doctor if they have visited Tainan recently, it added.
Additional reporting by CNA
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
