The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday announced this year's first fatal case of hepatitis A. The victim was a 30-year-old man who died four days after he was hospitalized.
So far this year, 82 new cases of hepatitis A have been reported, 47 affecting people under the age of 30.
"We strongly advise young people to pay particular attention to food sanitation when dining out," said CDC Deputy Director Lin Ting (
Lin said the man was sent to a hospital in southern Taiwan on March 11. He was reportedly unconscious by the time he was brought in. The local CDC was notified the next day of his case. The man died of liver and kidney failure on March 14.
Autopsy reports later confirmed the underlying cause of death was hepatitis A, Lin said, urging people, especially those who habitually eat out, to take extra precautionary measures to inspect the cleanliness of food in restaurants.
"In earlier years, hepatitis A was very prevalent in Taiwan. Most people above the age of 50 are carriers. However, the drastic improvement in water and food sanitation efforts by the government has greatly reduced the transmission of the disease," Lin said.
But the high rate of infection this year so far, he said, has become an alarming cause of worry for the government.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. The symptoms include jaundice, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever.
It is usually spread from person to person by contact with the stool of a person infected with hepatitis A. According to CDC statistics, only 42 new cases of hepatitis A infection were reported at this time last year. The numbers for the previous four years were 57, 62, 49 and 45.
The sharp increase this year, especially among people under the age of 30, shows that young people are more prone to the disease.
The young people's lack of antibodies and their habit of eating out, coupled with increasing tourism to and from Southeast Asia and China have all contributed to the recent hike, he said.
A hepatitis A vaccine is available in Taiwan. Those who are interested in getting boosters should contact their local health authority. The cost for adults is approximately NT$1,500 to NT$2,000 for each dosage and NT$1,000 for children. People must receive dosages to gain the maximum protection against the infectious disease.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
RSS