Taipei City Government

To prevent dengue fever from spreading, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has reinforced the inspection of areas susceptible to water accumulation and the breeding of vector mosquitos in August. In total, 749 construction sites and 95 recycling centers were inspected, and mosquito larvae were discovered in waterlogged regions at 24 construction sites. The DEP has issued fines ranging from NT$1,200 to NT$6,000 to ill-managed construction sites as per the Waste Disposal Act.

The hot, rainy months between August and October are susceptible to dengue fever outbreaks, with outdoor containers accumulating water to provide the ideal environment for the breeding of vector mosquitoes. In particular, domestic dengue fever cluster infections have occurred recently in New Taipei City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City.

According to the DEP, the 24 construction sites that failed the inspection have been re-inspected to make sure the shortcomings are remedied. Furthermore, the DEP will continue dispatching inspectors to inspect various construction sites every month, therefore workers at various construction sites are reminded to ensure the environment is adequately cleaned to prevent the breeding of vector mosquitos due to waterlogging or garbage accumulation, thereby stopping dengue fever from spreading.

The agency pointed out that outdoor recycling centers throughout the city lack rain shelter, and the piles of recycled waste stacked outside consisting of empty bottles and tires are prone to accumulating water. If not cleared in time, they become vector mosquito breeding hot spots. Consequently, the DEP has requested all 95 private recycling centers in the city to step up the environmental inspection of their premises and the surrounding areas; they are also required to sterilize the areas with disinfectant sprays either by themselves or hire a qualified vector control contractor to do so every quarter, as it is imperative to minimize the breeding of dengue fever vector mosquitos. In addition, the DEP carries out weekly vector breeding source inspections at 95 private recycling centers; at present, all the recycling centers have completed environmental sterilization, but they will need to continue conducting environmental management. If the environment is found to be messy and dirty in the future, or if vector breeding sources leading to the breeding of vector mosquitos are discovered, they will be fined in accordance with the law.

The DEP urges the public to implement the 4 steps of dengue fever prevention: inspect, empty, clean and brush. (1) Regularly inspect outdoor items that are prone to accumulating water such as vases, water trays, discarded water buckets, plant saucers, tarps, and waste tires. (2) Get rid of stagnant water. (3) Sort and discard unwanted containers. (4) Thoroughly brush the remaining containers to eliminate yellow fever mosquito eggs, and make sure to implement the 4 steps of inspecting, emptying, cleaning and brushing in order to eradicate dengue fever at the source.