Taiwan confirms ten new deaths caused by dengue fever
Xinhua, December 1, 2015 Adjust font size:
The death toll of the dengue outbreak in Taiwan since May has increased to 184, with another 10 deaths confirmed, the island's disease control agency announced Tuesday.
The new deaths, five male and five female, were reported in Kaohsiung city in south Taiwan. The victims were aged between 56 and 82, the agency said in a press release.
Most of the deceased suffered from chronic underlying diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, the agency statement said.
The health authorities are still investigating 21 suspected cases, while 48 people are receiving treatment in intense care units.
The total number of dengue fever cases has reached 39,350 as of Monday.
Most cases were recorded in Kaohsiung and Tainan, two major cities in south Taiwan. The situation in Kaohsiung remained severe as 244 new cases were reported in Kaohsiung on Monday, while Tainan only reported 18 new cases.
The outbreak has been the worst in years though the island is hit by the disease frequently. Last year the figure was 15,732 cases and 28 deaths and before that the annual cases were around 2,000.
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