The dengue fever epidemic has not totally disappeared and an appeal is made to the public that they should clean breeding sources for vector mosquitoes in indoor and outdoor environments and reduce the amount of containers when doing general house cleaning before Chinese New Year 

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) announces that four new cases of indigenous dengue fever appeared in Taiwan last week (from January 22 to 28), including two cases in Tainan City and two cases in Kaohsiung City. Since the summer of 2012, a total of 1,268 dengue fever cases have been confirmed, including 746 cases in Tainan City, 503 cases in Kaohsiung City, seven cases in Taoyuan County, five cases in New Taipei City, one case in Taipei City, one case in Miaoli County, one case in Yunlin County, one case in Chiayi County, one case in Pingtung County, one case in Taitung County and one case in Penghu County. The CDC appeals to the public that they should clean breeding sources for vector mosquitoes in indoor and outdoor environments and dispose unneeded containers when doing general house cleaning before Chinese New Year. 

These four new cases of indigenous dengue fever occurring last week included a 30-year-old female living in Beijin Village, Qianjin District, Kaohsiung City, a 59-year-old female living in Guanghua Village, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City, as well as a 16-year-old male and a 17-year-old male living in Shenggong Village, South District, Tainan City. At present, the dengue fever epidemic keeps slowing down; however, sporadic cases still occur in Tainan City and Kaohsiung City. Therefore, citizens should continue to clean breeding sources for vector mosquitoes and take other precautions against dengue fever so as to prevent the epidemic from lasting over this winter. 

The CDC appeals to the public again that there is no effective vaccine or medicine to prevent or treat dengue fever at present. Hence, the most effective method to prevent dengue fever is cleaning breeding sources for vector mosquitoes. The CDC requests all citizens and communities to check indoor and outdoor environments, actively clean water-filled containers and remove or recycle unneeded containers while they get rid of the old to make way for the new in doing general house cleaning before Chinese New Year. If citizens have large-size=+0d waste which they cannot deal with by themselves, they may ask a cleaning squad to help them in the removal in order to reduce the chances for vector mosquitoes to breed. 

The CDC also reminds the public that during the winter vacation and Chinese New Year, citizens who want to go to high risk areas of dengue fever for traveling or visiting relatives should take precautions against mosquitoes, including wearing light-colored, long-sleeved clothes and long pants and applying a mosquito repellent approved by the Department of Health on the exposed skin. If citizens show fever, headache, retro-orbital pain, muscle pain, joint pain, rash and other symptoms after returning to Taiwan, they should seek medical advice as soon as possible and inform the doctors of their personal history of travels and activities and other related information for facilitating diagnosis and report. For the latest epidemic situation and other information on dengue fever, please visit the CDC website (http://www.cdc.gov.tw) or dial the domestic toll-free Public Disease Reporting and Care Hotline 1922.