Three new measles infections and one case of serious complications caused by an enterovirus infection were confirmed last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
The sources of the new measles infections are still under investigation, Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said.
A total of 74 measles cases have been confirmed in Taiwan this year, including 28 people who were infected overseas, and the majority (76 percent) are aged between 20 and 39, Guo said, adding that 3,056 people are being monitored for symptoms.
Photo: CNA
Seven measles cases confirmed earlier this month were associated with three clusters of infections: one started by a person infected in Hong Kong and two clusters initiated by two people infected in Thailand, he said.
A man in his 20s was infected in Hong Kong and transmitted the disease to four people at a restaurant in New Taipei City and another four people when he sought treatment at a hospital, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said.
The measles virus can remain infectious in the air for more than an hour after an infected person leaves an area, Lo said, adding that the four people infected at the hospital did not come into direct contact with the man — some had only walked through the same hallway.
As the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rate in Taiwan is relatively high, a person infected with measles usually only transmits the disease to three to four people at most, he said, adding that the cluster of nine cases that started in Hong Kong is the nation’s largest cluster this year so far.
A case of serious complications caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71) was confirmed last week in a five-year-old boy in Kaohsiung, CDC doctor Cheng Hao-yuan (鄭皓元) said.
The boy early this month presented with repeated high fevers, shortness of breath, headaches, rashes and trembling before being hospitalized, he said, adding that the boy was later admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit after he developed symptoms including involuntary muscle spasms, a rapid heartbeat and the inability to walk steadily.
The boy’s condition has stabilized and he has been discharged, Cheng said, adding that six cases of severe complications from enterovirus infection have been confirmed this year.
The EV71 epidemic cycle is usually two to four years, but the last large outbreak in Taiwan was in 2012, which resulted in more than 30 cases of severe complications caused by EV71 infection, so the CDC is paying extra attention to enterovirus infections this year to prevent another large outbreak, Lo said.
The CDC urged parents to watch for signs of severe complications caused by enterovirus infection and to seek immediate medical treatment if symptoms are observed.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS