A 27-year-old Taiwanese man has been confirmed to have the nation’s third case of imported measles this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Tuesday, adding that the man became infected while on vacation in Europe.
The man, who lives in northern Taiwan, visited France, Belgium and the Netherlands as a member of a tour group from March 7 to March 15. He transferred flights in Bangkok before returning to Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said.
The man first went to a clinic complaining of a fever on March 19, then returned on Thursday last week when his symptoms persisted, Lo said, adding that the next day, after developing a rash, he sought treatment at a hospital.
The hospital reported the case and asked the man to quarantine himself at home, Lo said, adding that test results on Tuesday confirmed that he has measles.
“Measles can easily be misdiagnosed as hives, which is caused by an allergic reaction,” Lo said. “Measles has an incubation period of about seven days and the man was likely infected during his vacation in Europe.”
Outbreaks of measles have been reported in European countries and in Thailand, so the centers is unable to specify the exact location he became infected, but it is monitoring the condition of 166 people who came into direct contact with the man after his return to Taiwan, he said.
However, the man caught a bus from Hsinchu to MRT Dapinglin Station in New Taipei City at 11am on Friday last week, so people who were on the same vehicle, operated by Yalan Bus, should be alert for any symptoms, which would likely manifest themselves by tomorrow, and seek medical treatment if they suspect they have the disease, Lo said.
A unique feature of measles is that a rash usually appears on the head and neck that then spreads to the rest of the body, Lo said.
“All three cases of measles reported this year were imported from abroad,” he said, adding that of other nations in the region, China has reported the most measles cases — about 1,200 — this year.
The prevalence of the disease in Europe seems to be increasing, with Romania bearing the brunt of infections, reporting about 3,800 cases this year, he said.
Vaccinations are the best prevention for the disease, and the centers encourages parents to take their children for a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine before their first birthday, he said.
About 20 percent of Taiwanese in their 20s and 30s might not have immunity against measles, so they should request an MMR vaccine at least two weeks before they travel to areas where the disease has been reported, he said.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The first of 10 new high-capacity trains purchased from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem arrived at the Port of Taipei yesterday to meet the demands of an expanding metro network, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. The train completed a three-day, 1,200km voyage from the Port of Masan in South Korea, the company said. Costing NT$590 million (US$18.79 million) each, the new six-carriage trains feature a redesigned interior based on "human-centric" transportation concepts, TRTC said. The design utilizes continuous longitudinal seating to widen the aisles and optimize passenger flow, while also upgrading passenger information displays and driving control systems for a more comfortable
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
RSS