Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41799266›Full record

ArticleOpen forum infectious diseases2026

A Large Dengue Outbreak in Taiwan, 2023: Driven by Imported Cases, Serotype Cocirculation, and Climate Variability.

Jie-Yu Huang, Shih-Feng Weng, Zih-Syuan Yang, Ying-Wei Tung, Wen-Hung Wang, Wanchai Assavalapsakul, Arunee Thitithanyanont, Day-Yu Chao, Chun-Yu Lin, Yen-Hsu Chen and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Open forum infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jie-Yu HuangCenter for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Shih-Feng WengDepartment of Healthcare Administration and Medical Informatics, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Zih-Syuan YangCenter for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Ying-Wei TungCenter for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Wen-Hung WangCenter for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Wanchai AssavalapsakulDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Arunee ThitithanyanontDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Day-Yu ChaoGraduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Chun-Yu LinCenter for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5640-4969
Yen-Hsu ChenCenter for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Sheng-Fan WangCenter for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4183-3872

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Taiwan, a region traditionally considered non-endemic for dengue, experienced an unexpected and large-scale outbreak in 2023. We investigated the multifactorial drivers of this outbreak, including cross-border viral importation, serotype cocirculation, vector ecology, and climate variability. Methods: We analyzed national dengue surveillance data (2013-2023), meteorological records, and Breteau Index (BI) values, alongside molecular serotyping and whole-genome sequencing of clinical isolates. Time-lagged Poisson regression was used to identify predictors of indigenous dengue transmission in Kaohsiung and Tainan. Full-genome comparisons were conducted between 2023 strains and historical epidemic isolates. Results: A total of 26 706 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, primarily in Tainan (80.7%) and Kaohsiung (11.9%). Real-time RT-PCR identified cocirculating DENV-1 and DENV-2 strains. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the 2023 DENV-1 and DENV-2 strains were genetically linked to contemporary strains from Southeast Asian countries. Whole-genome sequencing identified several nonsynonymous mutations in the NS2A, NS3, and NS5 regions when compared with historical outbreak isolates. Time-lagged regression showed that imported cases, precipitation, and the BI were associated with incidence in univariate models. In Kaohsiung, the best-fitting multivariable model included the BI, but temperature and precipitation were the independent predictors. In Tainan, precipitation and, at longer lags, imported cases were more influential, while the BI lost significance after adjustment. Conclusions: The 2023 dengue outbreak in Taiwan was driven by a complex interplay between viral introductions, climatic conditions, and vector dynamics. The differing transmission drivers observed between cities highlight the need for region-specific vector surveillance, climate-informed early warning systems, and sustained genomic monitoring to prevent future re-emergence of dengue in this non-endemic setting.

Indexed as

climate factorsdengue outbreakimported casesTaiwantime-lag analysis

Identifiers

PMID41799266
PMCPMC12964117

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.