Dengue fever is continuing to spread in the southern city of Tainan. As of Monday, the number of cases in the city stood at more than 3,000. The Centers for Disease Control says that there are, on average, about a hundred new cases per day.
This year’s strain of dengue fever is the type two virus. The head of infectious disease at Tainan Hospital, Hung Yuan-pin, says that the symptoms are different from in previous years. In particular, he said, patients are likely to have a longer-lasting fever
“It’s very different, because we have dealt with dengue fever for many years, and it does not usually result in a fever that lasts such a long time," said Hung.
"In the past, some patients did not develop a fever, while others had a fever for just two or three days," he said. "But this year, the fever lasts about a week, which is quite unusual. So this year, dengue fever seems to be having a more serious and more powerful effect on patients.”
Hung said that there are other ways in which this year’s dengue fever differs. Rashes and bone pain are not as common as in past years. Also, patients are more likely to be anxious or even show signs of depression, which means that the medical staff needs to spend more time taking care of and reassuring patients. Also, Hung said there are far more patients staying at Tainan Hospital than in previous years: between 20 and 40 patients on any given day.