The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday advised the public to apply insect repellent and wear trousers and long-sleeved shirts when walking in rural or mountainous areas during the upcoming Tomb Sweeping Festival, as the prevalence of scrub typhus — a mite-borne infectious disease — often sees an uptick in April.
Scrub typhus is caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi and is transmitted by the bite of a chigger, the centers said.
The incubation period of scrub typhus is about nine to 12 days, with symptoms including a persistent high fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that begins about one week after the fever. An eschar — a dry, dark scab or falling away of dead skin — often develops at the site of the chigger bite, the centers said.
An increase in scrub typhus cases begins to reported in April and May which peaks in June and July, the the centers said, adding that according to data from 2013 to last year, Penghu County, Taitung County and Kinmen County had the most reported cases.
In addition to hundreds of scrub typhus cases reported every year, the centers said that more than 1,000 snake bites are reported every year, and that snakes begin to become more active in March.
Poisonous snakes most commonly seen in Taiwan include the Chinese green tree viper, the pointed-scaled pit viper and the Chinese sharp-nosed viper — commonly known as the “hundred-pacer” — the banded krait and the common cobra and the Russell’s viper, it said.
In order to prevent both scrub typhus and snakes, the centers advises people to wear light colors and apply government-approved insect repellent, and refrain from staying in overgrown areas for too long.
People bitten by poisonous snakes should try to remember the snake’s shape and color, remain calm and get to a hospital as soon as possible, the centers said.
A makeshift bandage can be made with a sock or other elasticated material, and a splint can be formed from a stick or other piece of available wood, while wounded limbs should be raised above the heart, the centers added.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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