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Taiwan News Quick Take

■ MILITARY

US unveils missile mix-up

The US Defense Department yesterday announced that it had mistakenly shipped non-nuclear ballistic missile components to Taiwan from a US Air Force base in the state of Wyoming. It said the items have been returned to the US. At a Pentagon news conference, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said the misshipped items were four nose cone assemblies for ballistic missiles. They were sent instead of helicopter batteries that had been ordered by Taiwan, he said. Wynne said the matter was under investigation.



■ HEALTH

Dengue fever cases emerge

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday confirmed four more cases of dengue fever infections that were contracted overseas. The latest cases involve a three-year-old boy who recently traveled to Indonesia with his family, two businessmen with operations in Indonesia and an Indonesian national working in Taiwan, CDC officials said. The cases brought the number of overseas dengue fever infections to 18 so far this year, compared with 14 cases recorded during the same period last year, the officials said. Of the 18 cases, nine were contracted in Indonesia, three each originated in Vietnam and the Philippines and one each was contracted in India and Malaysia. The origin of the remaining case was uncertain because the patient traveled to two different countries. Last year, Taiwan recorded 179 cases of dengue fever contracted overseas, with 55 originating in Vietnam and 48 in Indonesia, according to the CDC. CDC officials advised travelers to Southeast Asia to wear long-sleeved shirts and use anti-mosquito repellent.