Taiwan health officials reported the first locally acquired dengue fever case of 2017, according to a recent news release (computer translated).
This has prompted health officials to advise the public to strengthen their anti-mosquito efforts.
The patient is a 27-year-old woman from Kaohsiung City who presented with headache, fever, muscle soreness, joint pain, eye socket pain, loss of appetite and other symptoms on May 5.
She is currently hospitalized and being treated.
People get the dengue virus from the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. It is not contagious from person to person. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
There are three types of dengue fever in order of less severe to most: the typical uncomplicated dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHS) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS).
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there may be 50–100 million dengue infections worldwide every year. However, new research from the University of Oxford and the Wellcome Trust, using cartographic approaches, estimate there to be 390 million dengue infections per year worldwide.
Related:
- Japan, sushi and the rise of Anisakis
- Dengue in Hanoi up 45 percent, Environmental sanitation campaign to launch
- Malaysia dengue count tops 30,000 in first 4 months
- Philippines: Dengue cases down 35 percent in first months of 2017
- Dengue rapid screening test sold in the Philippines, get results in 20 minutes
