Taiwan Dengue Fever toll rises to 184

Taipei, Dec 1: The number of deaths from dengue fever in Taiwan has risen to 184 since May this year, with 10 newly confirmed fatalities, the Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) said on Tuesday.

All 10 new fatalities were from Kaohsiung, and were aged between 56 and 82, Taiwan News reported. Most of the deceased suffered from chronic underlying diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, according to the CECC.

All of the deaths from the mosquito-borne disease have been reported in southern Taiwan, including 112 in Tainan, followed by 70 in Kaohsiung and two in Pingtung county.

On Monday, 266 new cases of dengue fever were recorded around Taiwan, bringing the total number of infections since the start of May to 39,350.

The outbreak remains concentrated in the two southern cities, where 15,930 and 22,648 cases have been reported, respectively. 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. (IANS)