TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two new cases of dengue fever were reported in New Taipei on Tuesday (Sept. 24), with health officials noting that both cases had a history of outdoor activities near Zhonghe’s Sanjie Temple (三介廟) and Xindian’s Tianshan Park (天山公園).
New Taipei City’s Department of Health reported five cases of dengue fever this year, per UDN. To prevent disease transmission, access to Sanjie Temple, Tianshan Park, and Jingxin Park (景新公園) has been suspended for one month. Trespassers face fines between NT$60,000-300,000 (US$1,870-9,300).
The two new cases involved a 72-year-old woman in Xindian and a 25-year-old man in Zhonghe. The disease's onset was Sept. 20-21, with one patient in stable condition and the other recovered. All five contacts listed by the two individuals are asymptomatic.
On Tuesday (Sept. 24), New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Liu Ho-jan (劉和然) led a team of 75 sanitation workers, agricultural workers, and health officials to remove potential breeding locations and empty containers at Sanjie Temple and Tianshan Park. Eight resource collection vehicles removed 270 water containers and 1.5 tons of waste.
New Taipei City Department of Health Director Chen Ran-chou (陳潤秋) said testing stations would provide free dengue fever screening on Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept. 24-25) at Xingnan Citizen Activity Center. Those experiencing fever, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, or rash are encouraged to seek medical attention.
