Accurate diagnosis is essential for treating suspected malaria cases, but in many malaria-endemic regions fever is commonly presumed to be malaria without confirmation.
Diagnosis is often complicated by the fact symptoms mirror those of malaria, common in the region, including fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Endemic to the region, Lassa fever is asymptomatic in 80% of cases but for others it can cause internal bleeding, especially when diagnosed late.
As Taiwan is situated in the high risk subtropical region, dengue fever has virtually become a seasonal infectious disease.
In the Northwestern region, typhoid fever first appeared in 1996 1997 and remained endemic thereafter (Tran et al. 2005).
West Nile virus has not been described in the region, yellow fever is not present in Asia, and Japanese encephalitis is of low endemicity, with no recent outbreaks reported in the area.
Within the LASV-hyperendemic region, Lassa fever is always possible, but early signs and symptoms are similar to those of other viral, bacterial, and rickettsial diseases, which can confound a clinical diagnosis (24 ).
By the late 16th century, the reports of high fevers suggest the arrival of malaria in the region, and yellow fever was first reported in the mid-17th century, with a terse mention in the Chilam Balam of Chumayel for 1648.
Since the Balkan peninsula is also an endemic region for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), this method is suggested as convenient for early differential diagnosis of suspected viral hemorrhagic fever patients.
