An eight-year-old girl from Taichung was treated for salmonella infection after eating food that had gone off, Evran Hospital pediatrician Chen Chen-nan (陳震南) said on Tuesday.
Her parents had allowed her to eat food from a broken refrigerator to avoid wasting food, Chen said, adding that she became sick after a few days and was sent to the hospital’s emergency room with a fever, vomiting and diarrhea.
Tests showed a high white blood cell count and inflammatory markers, indicating a disease of bacterial origin, while green urine suggested that she was infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, he said.
However, salmonella was positively identified in cultured samples, he said.
Four days of intravenously administered antibiotics and bed rest saw the child recover sufficiently to be sent home, Chen said.
Salmonella infection is usually caused by ingesting eggs, meat or diary products contaminated by fecal matter, leading to flu-like symptoms from which most people recover after four to seven days, he said.
However, salmonella is a serious health risk for people with immature or compromised immune systems, including children, elderly people, those undergoing chemotherapy or who have a severe medical condition, he said.
Proper sanitation and hygiene habits are effective in preventing salmonella, he said.
Although green stools are a symptom of salmonella, green urine — which could indicate a urinary tract infection — is not, he said, adding that people who have abnormal colored urine should seek medical advice immediately.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
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
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
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