The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday rushed to disinfect a compound housing several countries’ embassies in Taipei City’s Tianmu (天母) area after the son of the Guatemalan ambassador contracted the A(H1N1) virus, also known as swine flu.
The son of Guatemalan Ambassador Hector Ivan Espinoza Farfan was on Sunday confirmed to have contracted the H1N1 virus, after which the Guatemalan embassy notified local authorities, the ministry said.
“Upon learning the news, the foreign ministry immediately informed the other embassies and a representative office located in the same compound to take all necessary health precautions,” ministry deputy spokesman James Chang (章計平) said.
Chang said the ambassador’s son had contracted a mild case of the flu and was recovering at home.
The compound houses 17 embassies and one foreign representative office, the official residency of the Jordanian representative, as well as the offices of the International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF).
The compound, including the main building, was sterilized in June when an ICDF staffer was confirmed to have contracted the flu after returning from a 17-day business trip to Central America.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
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