The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed the nation’s first human fatality from the H7N9 avian influenza virus.
The CDC yesterday said a Taiwanese man who was infected with the virus while he was in China died on Monday after about one month of hospital treatment.
Airport quarantine personnel detected flu symptoms in the 69-year-old man, who worked in China, when he arrived in Taiwan on Jan. 25 after he sought medical attention and was hospitalized. It was confirmed that the man had contracted the virus.
“Although the medical team at the hospital’s intensive care unit and infection specialists tried their best to treat the patient, he unfortunately died of multiple organ failure,” CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said.
He said the patient was hospitalized for serious pneumonia, but the virus developed resistance to common antiviral drugs during treatment. A novel antiviral agent that was purchased from Japan for treating Ebola was administered to try and save him.
“The man was more than 60 years old and had a history of chronic hypertension. Antiviral drug resistance developed during his treatment, as well as serious pneumonia and increased oxygen demand, which are known risk factors associated with H7N9 avian influenza deaths,” Lo said. “We express deep regret over his death.”
Since 2013, five human H7N9 avian influenza virus infections have been reported in Taiwan, all contracted in China, among them an 86-year-old Chinese visitor who died of the disease in January 2014, the centers said.
A total of 461 human H7N9 avian influenza virus infections have been confirmed in China since October last year, including 128 in Jiangsu Province, 79 in Zhejiang Province, 52 in Guangdong Province and 50 in Anhui Province, Lo said.
The CDC urged people who are in or planning to visit China to avoid contact with birds, maintain proper hygiene, avoid eating raw poultry or eggs and wear a mask. People should report to an airport quarantine station if flu-like symptoms occur after returning to Taiwan.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
LEISURE: The new law adds Confucius’ birthday, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou, Constitution Day and Little New Year as national holidays The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed new legislation adding four national holidays and making Workers’ Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party used their combined majority in the legislature to push the jointly proposed draft through its third and final reading. This new law supersedes the existing regulations for the implementation of memorial days and state holidays, which are administered by the Ministry of the Interior. The new law recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou on Oct. 25, Constitution Day on Dec. 25 and “Little New Year,”
RSS