Mass mobilization in Taiwan after dengue fever cases top 10,000

The public has been called on to prevent dengue fever in Taiwan as the number of cases breaks 10,000 across the island.

From the start of summer to Wednesday, the number of dengue fever cases has climbed to 10,384, with 9,103 cases reported in the southern city of Tainan and another 1,108 in neighboring Kaohsiung, Taiwan's disease control center said.

Number of deaths has reached 54 since May, 18 of which were confirmed to have died from the disease while the other 36 are still being reviewed, said Liu Ting-ping, director of the epidemic information department of the center. Another 38 dengue fever patients are still in intensive care.

An island-wide epidemic command center was established on Monday.

During the first meeting, attended by senior executive officials, representatives of related departments and health experts, the center decided to set up partial quarantine system to contain the spread of the disease.

Dengue fever outbreak areas are first rated based on their reported numbers. Then a conceptual wall will be set up surrounding the most severe areas, or the actual source of the infectious disease, so that medical resources are allocated more efficiently, center commander Mao Chi-kuo explained.

Cleaning squads are required to spray pesticides in those areas one to two hours every day. Employees of local health departments then tour rooftops, drains, pools, flowerpots and other places that might contain standing water for mosquito larvae.

Residents living inside the marked areas are mobilized to carry out regular inspections to make sure their living environment is clean and dry. Anyone who fail to clean up dirty water around their homes will face huge fines, the command center said.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne, potentially fatal disease that mainly affects people in tropical and subtropical regions, causing fever, nausea and muscle and joint aches. Endi