A cluster of imported dengue fever families occurred in Changhua County, and a couple was diagnosed after traveling in Vietnam

A cluster of imported dengue fever families occurred in Changhua County. A couple traveled to Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam with a group in mid-September and were diagnosed with symptoms after returning home. The CDC said today that 21 people in the same group came from counties and cities such as Taichung, Tainan, Hsinchu and Nantou and are continuing to track them.

Lin Mingcheng, spokesman for the Department of Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, told the media today that this was a family cluster of imported dengue fever, involving two couples in their 50s who lived together in Changhua.

Lin Mingcheng said that the couple traveled to Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam with relatives and friends in mid-September. On September 19 and 20, they developed symptoms such as fever and muscle pain, and one of them developed a skin rash. On September 21, they went to a hospital clinic together. Because the symptoms persisted, the two went to the emergency department on September 22. They tested positive for NS1 through rapid screening, and the diagnosis was confirmed the next day. The samples were sent to the Department of Disease Control and Prevention for re-examination and sequencing. They are currently hospitalized.

The case had a history of traveling to Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam during the incubation period (September 12 to 15). Lin Mingcheng said that after returning to China, he mainly worked in the place where he lived in Changhua County. Before the onset of the disease, he ate and shopped at local hot pot restaurants and hardware department stores, and also delivered goods to neighboring towns.

Lin Mingcheng said that since there are no other confirmed cases in the place of residence this year, and although there are cases of imported cases in neighboring towns, there is a time and distance difference, so local infection is ruled out and the source of infection is determined to be immigrants from Vietnam.

Regarding the contacts, Lin Mingcheng said that the only people living together were a husband and wife. There are 21 people in the group, distributed in Taichung, Tainan, Hsinchu, Nantou and other counties and cities, and have been notified to various health bureaus for health tracking.

In addition, local authorities have completed surveys of 75 households around the case's home and seized 38 water containers, 13 of which were positive. The density of vector mosquitoes is relatively high, and chemical control has been carried out. Medical institutions have also been asked to strengthen TOCC consultation and notification.

The CDC urges Chinese people to prevent mosquito bites when traveling to dengue fever-endemic areas; if they feel unwell within two weeks after returning home, they should seek medical treatment immediately and proactively inform their travel history. The recent temperature is still suitable for the breeding of vector mosquitoes, and communities still need to pay attention to clearing all kinds of stagnant water to avoid the breeding of vector-borne mosquitoes and diseases.