First Local Dengue Fever Case of the Year Confirmed; Earlier Than Last Year, CDC Issues Medical Alert

The first local case of dengue fever this year has been confirmed in Kaohsiung City. Tseng Shu-hui, spokesperson for the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC), stated on the 26th that while the outbreak is earlier than last year, the patient sought medical attention immediately upon onset and was diagnosed the same day, resulting in almost no hidden period, thus the impact on the outbreak is assessed as low. The patient is a man in his 60s living in Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung, who sought medical care on the 23rd for fever and muscle pain, and was confirmed to have Type 1 dengue fever. Two close contacts showed no symptoms and tested negative. Kaohsiung has expanded its epidemiological investigation, testing over 400 people, all of whom tested negative. The CDC has issued a circular to the medical community urging doctors to increase vigilance and strengthen the reporting of suspected cases. As of May 25, there have been 64 cumulative cases of dengue fever in Taiwan this year, with one local case and 63 imported cases.