The total number of dengue fever cases in Taiwan has climbed to 35,744 since May, the island's disease control agency said on Friday.

Taiwan reported 399 new cases of dengue on Thursday, according to a press release by the agency.

So far, 158 have died after contacting dengue. Another 30 suspected cases are being investigated, and 60 patients are currently in intensive care.

Most cases were recorded in Kaohsiung and Tainan, two big cities in the south of the island. In Kaohsiung 364 new cases were reported on Thursday, an increase of 96 from a week ago, while Tainan reported a drop in new cases.

The outbreak is the worst seen in years, although the island is no stranger to the disease. Last year there were 15,732 cases and 28 deaths, before that there were around 2,000 cases annually.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne, potentially fatal disease that mainly affects people in tropical and subtropical regions, causing fever, nausea and muscle and joint aches.

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