Dengue Fever/ Chikungunya Fever Epidemic Prevention Notice
Dear faculty, staff, and students,
With the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday approaching and the Double Ten National Day holiday following shortly, as many of you plan to return to your hometowns or travel, we kindly urge everyone to follow the “Inspect, Empty, Clean, and Scrub” guidelines and take necessary measures for mosquito prevention.
Due to regional differences in disease-carrying mosquitoes, areas in the central and northern parts primarily face the threat of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, while in the southern regions, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are more prevalent. These two types of disease-carrying mosquitoes result in different scenarios as follows:
- Aedes albopictus mosquitoes: The primary breeding grounds for these mosquitoes are outdoor areas like gardens, evening or morning markets, sports facilities, and environments with natural vegetation like tree hollows. These locations pose a high risk for mosquito breeding. Additionally, these mosquitoes predominantly bite outdoors, leading to the potential for "community cluster infections.”
- Aedes aegypti mosquitoes: They are primarily active indoors, biting different individuals within households, potentially leading to "household cluster infections."
Furthermore, due to regional differences in risk management, the risk of outdoor infections in Taichung is relatively higher compared to the southern regions, especially during the Double Ten National Day holiday when people from other counties may visit Taichung to watch the National Day fireworks. This influx of visitors could also elevate the risk of infection.
We would like to remind you that the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for outdoor activities like moon-gazing in your garden, inviting relatives and friends for barbecues, or enjoying outdoor fireworks displays at night. These gatherings also present opportunities for disease-carrying mosquitoes to thrive. Therefore, please take precautions by wearing light-colored long-sleeved clothing and pants, and applying mosquito repellent/cream to exposed skin areas to prevent mosquito bites. If you are returning to the southern regions, we kindly request your assistance in clearing any stagnant water containers to prevent mosquito breeding. Let us work together to prevent the spread of dengue fever and safeguard everyone's health.
Wishing you a joyful Mid-Autumn Festival!
Sincerely,
NCHU Epidemic Prevention Team
2023/09/27