Kaohsiung reports imported dengue case from Belize
A traveler arriving in Kaohsiung has tested positive for dengue fever, a health worry rather than a market one, and officials say the risk of local spread is being contained.
- The patient flew into Taoyuan airport, took the high-speed rail to Kaohsiung, and fell ill the next day with fever, headache, bone pain, and vomiting.
- Tests confirmed dengue type 3; the person is now in hospital under mosquito-proof isolation.
- Six people who traveled with the patient show no symptoms and tested negative.
- Taiwan's imported dengue cases this year are the highest for this period in a decade, with more than 90% coming from Southeast Asia — this is the first from Belize.
- Heavy rain in southern Taiwan is leaving standing water where mosquitoes breed, so residents are being urged to empty and scrub containers within two days of the rain stopping.
Outlook: With hot, wet weather continuing and global dengue cases running high, Taiwan is likely to see more imported infections in the coming weeks.