Severe Dengue Fever Outbreak in Taiwan

Sheng-Fan Wang; Wen-Hung Wang; Ko Chang; Yen-Hsu Chen; Sung-Pin Tseng; Chia-Hung Yen; Deng-Chyang Wu; Yi-Ming Arthur Chen

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0422

Severe Dengue Fever Outbreak in Taiwan

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016 Jan;94(1):193-7. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0422. Epub 2015 Nov 16.

Authors

Sheng-Fan Wang¹, Wen-Hung Wang², Ko Chang², Yen-Hsu Chen², Sung-Pin Tseng², Chia-Hung Yen², Deng-Chyang Wu², Yi-Ming Arthur Chen¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Infection Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical, University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Center for Dengue Fever Control and Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan wasf1234@kmu.edu.tw arthur@kmu.edu.tw.
² Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Infection Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical, University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Center for Dengue Fever Control and Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Abstract

Dengue fever (DF) is a vector-borne disease caused by dengue viruses (DENVs). Epidemic dengue occurs intermittently in Taiwan. In 2014, Taiwan experienced its largest DF outbreak. There were 15,732 DF cases reported. There were a total of 136 dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases, of which 20 resulted in death. Most DF cases were reported in southern Taiwan. A total of 15,043 (96%) cases were from Kaohsiung, a modern city in southern Taiwan. This report reviews DF epidemics in Taiwan during 2005-2014. The correlation between DF and DHF along with temperature and precipitation were conjointly examined. We conclude that most dengue epidemics in Taiwan resulted from imported DF cases. Results indicate three main factors that may have been associated with this DF outbreak in Kaohsiung: an underground pipeline explosion combined with subsequent rainfall and higher temperature. These factors may have enhanced mosquito breeding activity, facilitating DENV transmission.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Dengue / epidemiology*
Disease Outbreaks*
Humans
Incidence
Population Surveillance
Rain
Taiwan / epidemiology
Temperature
Time Factors