Influence of environmental conditions on asynchronous outbreaks of dengue disease and increasing vector population in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Abstract

The objective of this study was to clarify the associations between dengue vectors and the number of dengue fever admissions. We statistically analyzed the daily meteorological and sea surface temperature (SST) data obtained from 13 monitoring stations for 2002–2007, the daily number of dengue fever admissions to hospitals, as well as the Breteau index (BI) values obtained from the Taiwan Centres for Disease Control for the 38 political districts of metropolitan Kaohsiung. It was found that hot and wet environmental conditions were caused by warm SSTs together with the weather patterns that cause typhoons and high-pressure areas in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The conditions clearly contribute to an increase in the BI. Synoptic weather patterns still remain an important factor in determining the growth of dengue vectors, particularly in rural areas, although public health programs and improved environmental sanitation can also reduce the threat of the disease.

Keywords:

• dengue fever admission
• dengue vectors
• SST
• weather patterns