The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday warned travelers to China and Hong Kong about an outbreak of scarlet fever, which has infected thousands of people and was expected to continue to spread over the summer.
The CDC said that as of yesterday, there have been 21,269 reported cases of scarlet fever in China this year, about 3.6 times as many as the same period last year. There were 9,308 new cases last month, or 4.1 times as many as the 2,269 cases reported a year ago.
Hong Kong has reported 466 cases this year, with two deaths — a seven-year-old girl last month and a five-year-old boy on Tuesday. Macau has reported 49 cases.
The CDC said the number of reported cases of scarlet fever in the region is two to three times the normal range and the number of cases so far in the outbreak is greater than the annual number reported over the past 10 years.
Health officials said travelers to Hong Kong, Macau and China should wash their hands frequently and avoid visiting places with little or no fresh air.
Those who have been diagnosed with scarlet fever and received medical treatment should avoid going to public places such as schools or workplaces until 24 hours after the fever has subsided, they said.
Scarlet fever symptoms include a bright red rash, fever, sore throat and a “strawberry-colored” tongue. The disease mainly affects children between the ages of two and eight. Symptoms usually subside within 48 hours with treatment of appropriate antibiotics.
However, the new strain has about 60 percent resistance to antibiotics used to treat it, compared with 10 percent to 30 percent in previous strains, Yuen Kwok-yung, head of Hong Kong University’s microbiology department, said yesterday in Hong Kong.
Certain characteristics of the new strain likely make it more easily transmitted, he said.
Additional reporting by AFP and AP
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS