The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday confirmed four new cases of Japanese encephalitis in Taiwan and urged the public to take precautions against mosquito bites during the peak June and July transmission period for the illness.
The four, all residing in Greater Tainan, were treated and some have been discharged from hospital, the CDC said in a statement.
The two men and two women infected with the disease are aged between 40 and 74, it said.
The four had been living or working in places close to pig pens, pigeon farms, ponds, heron nests or other areas prone to mosquito infestations, the CDC said.
Japanese encephalitis is transmitted mainly by mosquitoes.
The incubation period for the disease is five to 15 days, the CDC said. In mild cases, the symptoms are headache and fever, while in severe cases the patient may suffer convulsions, it said.
Late last month, the CDC confirmed the nation’s first case of Japanese encephalitis this year.
With the peak transmission season about to begin, the health agency urged the public to take preventative measures, such as wearing long pants and long sleeves to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
However, vaccination is the most effective method of preventing the disease, the CDC said, urging parents of children who have not yet received the three-stage vaccination to consult a doctor.
There are between 20 to 40 reported cases of Japanese encephalitis each year in Taiwan, with an annual death rate of between zero and two, according to CDC data.
Most patients are adults over the age of 20, the statistics show.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
The Grand Hotel Taipei has rejected media reports claiming that the hotel had prevented CBS from broadcasting coverage of the Beijing summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on its premises. Media reports alleging that the hotel owner, dissatisfied with CBS’s coverage, prohibited the network from broadcasting political content on the hotel premises, are not true, the hotel said in a statement issued last night. The reports were “inconsistent with how the hotel actually handled the matter,” it said. The hotel said it received a refund request from a
RSS