After heavy rain, if standing water is not removed for seven days, mosquitoes can explode in number; beware of dengue fever
With three typhoons arriving one after another, besides paying attention to home safety, do not forget to empty the standing water in potted plants and buckets to prevent the spread of dengue fever. Tsai Kun-hsien, principal investigator of the Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases Laboratory at National Taiwan University College of Public Health, reminds us that the larvae of dengue fever vector mosquitoes hatch within one day of encountering water and grow into adults within a week. In recent years, dengue fever has become increasingly serious. The public should normally maintain good household cleanliness and hygiene, and place potted plants in ventilated, bright locations to avoid breeding mosquitoes.
Dengue Fever Appears in Japan; Northern Taiwan Should Not Let Its Guard Down Either
Taiwan has been preventing and controlling dengue fever for 40 years, yet last year nearly 15,000 local cases broke out, the highest in history, with Kaohsiung alone accounting for 97%. Tsai Kun-hsien believes that although Taiwan's concept of vector mosquito control has improved, as transportation becomes more and more convenient and more people travel to and from tropical regions such as Southeast Asia, this may bring in dengue fever virus.
Last year Tokyo, Japan, saw its first dengue fever outbreak in 70 years, putting the whole country on alert. With climate change and advances in transportation, infectious diseases have already spread far and wide.
Tsai Kun-hsien revealed that several years ago Japan sent people to Taiwan in a major move to learn dengue fever prevention, because they believed that even if there was no problem now, there was no guarantee it would not happen 50 years later. Sure enough, it broke out without waiting 50 years. "They really were far-sighted," Tsai Kun-hsien said. Although Taipei currently has very little dengue fever because temperatures are relatively lower, the high-speed rail from Kaohsiung to Taipei is so convenient, and with climate change, one absolutely must not let one's guard down against dengue fever.