Taiwan is battling its worst summer outbreak of dengue in over a decade as cases have exceeded 4,000 in four months.
The island’s disease control center reported 4,343 cases with 10 deaths, since the start of summer. It is considered the worst outbreak since the systematic tracking of the disease in 2003, Xinhua news agency reported.
Tainan city reported 3,825 dengue cases, making it the hardest hit, and neighboring Kaohsiung had 445 cases, latest official figures show. Tainan’s executive authority has set aside $920,000 to help dengue fever prevention and control. A research team at Taiwan Ocean University has succeeded in cultivating small insectivorous rice fish and will release them to get rid of mosquito larvae in drains and ponds. Dengue fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. It causes headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rash.
