SASTM News flash: Dengue: Taiwan - Imported Cases

DENGUE – TAIWAN: IMPORTED CASES

Twelve imported cases of dengue fever reported last week: Taiwan CDC

Taiwan reported 12 new imported dengue fever cases from July 15-21, the highest single-week total this year [2025], the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday [22 Jul 2025]. The cases came from Thailand (4), Indonesia (3), Vietnam (3), Myanmar (1) and Cambodia (1), Taiwan CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Kuo Hung-wei said at a routine news conference.

All 109 confirmed cases of the disease, which is not transmissible from person to person [only via Aedes mosquitoes- Mod.LL], in Taiwan this year [2025] have been imported, with 91.7% from Southeast Asia, Kuo said. Indonesia accounted for the most with 45 cases, followed by Viet Nam (16), the Philippines (13), Thailand (12), and the Maldives (8), he added.

CDC Deputy Director General Lo Yi-chun said that China’s Guangdong Province has recorded its highest dengue count for this time of the year in 6 years. In response, the CDC raised its travel health notice for Guangdong to “Level 1: Watch” — which advises travelers to “practice usual precautions.”

Communicated by: ProMED

Moderator Comments

Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through Aedes mosquito bites. The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop, with illness generally lasting less than a week. Symptoms from dengue include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding. Dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.

In severe cases, health effects can include hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), shock (seriously low blood pressure), organ failure, and death.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a life-threatening disease with, in part, an immunologic component:

Wang WH, Urbina AN, Chang MR, et al. Dengue hemorrhagic fever — A systemic literature review of current perspectives on pathogenesis,prevention and control. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2020;53(6):963-978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2020.03.007.

Abstract

“Background: Dengue is an arboviral disease caused by dengue virus. Symptomatic dengue infection causes a wide range of clinical manifestations, from mild dengue fever (DF) to potentially fatal disease, such as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS). We conducted a literature review to analyze the risks of DHF and current perspectives for DHF prevention and control.

“Methods: According to the PRISMA guidelines, the references were selected from PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar database using search strings containing a combination of terms that included dengue hemorrhagic fever, pathogenesis, prevention and control. Quality of references were evaluated by independent reviewers.

“Results: DHF was first reported in the Philippines in1953 and further transmitted to the countries in the region of South-East Asia and Western Pacific. Plasma leakages [are] the main pathophysiological hallmark that distinguishes DHF from DF. Severe plasma leakage can result in hypovolemic shock. Various factors are thought to impact disease presentation and severity. Virus virulence, preexisting dengue antibodies, immune dysregulation, lipid change and host genetic susceptibility are factors reported to be correlated with the development of DHF. However, the exact reasons and mechanisms that triggers DHF remains controversial. Currently, no specific drugs and licensed vaccines are available to treat dengue disease in any of its clinical presentations.

“Conclusion: This study concludes that antibody-dependent enhancement, cytokine dysregulation and variation of lipid profiles are correlated with DHF occurrence. Prompt diagnosis, appropriate treatment, active and continuous surveillance of cases and vectors are the essential determinants for dengue prevention and control.”