Indigenous dengue fever shows sign of subsiding: CDC

Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) The spread of dengue fever in Taiwan has started to show signs of slowing down, despite four new cases being reported this week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said Tuesday.

The newly confirmed cases of indigenous dengue fever were reported over the past two days in Taichung, bringing the total number nationwide this year to 157 as of Tuesday, according to the CDC's latest statistics on the mosquito-borne disease.

The new incidences were all individual cases and do not belong to any cluster infection, Chuang said.

Kuo Hung-wei (郭宏偉), deputy chief of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Center, said that fewer than 10 new cases have been reported over the past three weeks, a sign that indigenous dengue fever has subsided.

However, with neighboring Southeast Asian countries still gripped by the disease, Taiwan remains exposed to the risk of imported dengue fever, Kuo said.

According to the CDC, Taiwan saw six new imported cases of dengue last week -- three from Cambodia, and one each from Myanmar, Vietnam and China (Guangdong Province).

Chuang urged people to clean up their living environment to prevent infestations of mosquito larvae and help stop the disease preading.

He also cautioned parents that the best protection is to prevent bites from infected mosquitoes and suggested children wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when in dengue fever epidemic areas.