Staff Writer, with CNA
The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday announced the country’s first indigenous measles case this year, saying that the patient was a 10-month-old girl who had been infected by a family member returning from an overseas trip.
Chou Chih-hao (周志浩), deputy director general of the Centers for Disease Control, said the 25-year-old male family member, from northern Taiwan, had visited Thailand for business between July 26 and July 30. After his return, he sought medical treatment, complaining of muscle pains, and was diagnosed with tonsillitis.
Shortly after the man returned home, he developed a skin rash and a fever, typical symptoms of measles.
As the symptoms persisted, he checked into a hospital, which confirmed that he had measles — the sixth imported case this year, Chou said.
People traveling to China, Southeast Asia, Japan or Europe, where outbreaks of measles have been reported, should have themselves vaccinated if they are not sure whether they have immunity or if they wish to take along children under one year of age, he said.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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