TAIPEI - Taiwan confirmed nine new deaths related to dengue fever, taking the death toll since May to 204, the island's disease control agency announced Tuesday.

Among the deceased, 106 were male and 98 female, with the median age at 75.5. Most of them had suffered two to three chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart and kidney diseases, the agency said in a press release.

In average, it took about 6 days from the patients showing symptoms until death, the agency said.

The new cases, five male and four female, were reported from Kaohsiung city in south Taiwan, aged between 55 and 82.

The health authorities are still investigating 22 suspected cases, while 50 people are receiving treatment in intensive care units.

The total number of dengue fever cases has reached 41,947.

Most cases were recorded in Kaohsiung and Tainan, two major cities in south Taiwan.

The outbreak has been the worst in years though the island is hit by the disease frequently. Last year the figure was 15,732 cases and 28 deaths and before that annual cases were around 2,000.

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.