Three new cases of dengue fever were flagged in Taichung City, Taiwan, on Wednesday. Two of them involved a Taiwanese nurse and an Indonesian carer working in the same hospital, and where outbreak investigations have been launched.
The Taichung City Government announced on September 12 that the two new cases happened in the main block of Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital Taichung Branch in Tanzi District. A 40-year-old member of the nursing staff and a 29-year-old Indonesian private carer of an 90-year-old in-patient both reportedly suffered from fever from September 4 and September 8 respectively, the Liberty Times reported.
By September 9 and 10, since the conditions of the two women had not improved, they were subjected to a rapid diagnostic test that revealed them both to be suffering from dengue fever.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the source of infection could be a pool in the landscaped garden of the hospital. Measures for mosquito control have been conducted as a result.
Conditions in the hospital for outbreaks of dengue fever were said to be unlikely, with interior temperatures controlled at 26 degree Celsius, the hospital said.
Elsewhere, a 60-year-old man living in the Zhongxing area of Dali District was also diagnosed with dengue fever; he is now hospitalized for treatment.