Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

May and June are the rainy season in Taiwan, which means that mosquitoes may breed quickly inside water containers and cause a dengue fever epidemic. Therefore, the Center for Disease Control (CDC/Taiwan) urges the public to clean the containers immediately to avoid such an outbreak.

There have been 7 indigenous cases of dengue fever since March. Due to the high temperature, any mosquito eggs in the water can hatch within 1 week and become a carrier of the dengue fever virus. Therefore, the removal of the water containers should be the top priority.

According to the weather forecasts from the Central Weather Bureau, heavy rain is likely to occur recently. In order to prevent an outbreak of dengue fever, CDC/Taiwan urges the public to actively clean out the water containers around the household and make sure that water doesnt accumulate on the roof or in the basement. Any containers around the household, such as tires, metal cans, carp, bottles, or potted plants should be cleaned too to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. If symptoms such as fever, headache, pain at the posterior of the eye socket, joint and muscle pain, or rash appear, please seek medical attention immediately. You must also inform your doctor about your symptoms for him to make an accurate diagnosis. All doctors should be on alert and report any suspicious findings to the authorities immediately in order to contain any disease outbreak.

To learn how to prevent dengue fever, you may visit CDC/Taiwans website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the reporting and enquiry hotline by dialing 1922.

Source:Department of Health,TAIWAN,ROC