Taiwan reports 316 new dengue cases

Taipei: Taiwan has reported another 316 cases of dengue fever, bringing the total number of infections since the start of May to 27,736, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) said on Tuesday.

On Monday, Kaohsiung and Tainan, where the dengue fever outbreak is concentrated, reported 193 and 117 new daily cases, respectively, Taiwan News reported. 

It appears that the spread of dengue fever is continuing to slow in Tainan, where 21,327 cases have been recorded so far. In Kaohsiung, however, the outbreak could be on the rise, CDC data showed. 

So far this year, dengue fever has claimed a total of 122 lives in Taiwan, the CDC said, adding that 25,594 patients have recovered from the disease, while 27 remained in intensive care units at hospitals. 

Dengue fever is an infectious tropical disease spread by mosquitoes. 

The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and skin rashes. In a small proportion of the cases, the disease can develop into hemorrhagic dengue fever, which can be fatal.