Number of dengue fever cases in Taiwan surges to 9,862
CNA and Staff Reporter 2015-09-15 18:01
A health worker sprays pesticide in Taitung, Sept. 15. (Photo/CNA)
The number of dengue fever cases recorded since the start of summer in Taiwan has risen to 9,862 as the potentially deadly disease continues to spread on the island, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday.
The latest figure represents an increase of 296 cases from the previous day.
As of Monday, 8,666 cases had been reported in the southern municipality of Tainan and 1,030 in neighboring Kaohsiung, according to CDC figures. The cases are overwhelmingly in the tropical southern half of the island.
In Tainan alone, infections increased by 237 from the previous day.
Since May 1, there have been 18 confirmed deaths from dengue fever in Taiwan, the CDC said.
Last year, Taiwan reported 15,732 dengue fever cases, by far the highest annual number since records began. Previous to that, the highest number of cases recorded in a single year was around 2,000, both in 2007 and 2010.
Dengue fever is a potentially fatal disease spread by mosquitoes, mainly during the summer months. The outbreak last year peaked in October and subsided in January this year.
