People should not share personal hygiene items and should disinfect themselves after coming into contact with public items, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Nantou Hospital said yesterday, citing the case of a man who was found to have a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in his right ear canal.
The 70-year-old man, surnamed Huang (黃), complained of hearing loss and itchiness in the ear, as if there was a build-up of wax, Department of Otolaryngology physician Wu Chao-kuan (吳詔寬) said.
Huang told Wu that no matter how much he tried, he could not remedy the condition, adding that he also had bleeding in the ear.
Upon inspection, Wu said that the ear canal was infected with HPV.
Huang would visit a local barber to get his beard trimmed and ear wax removed, Wu said.
The barber could be using non-disposable tools that have not been properly disinfected, causing the infection of Huang’s ear canal, Wu said.
Since the infected area was removed via microsurgery, hearing in that ear has started to return, Wu added.
HPV is usually transmitted by physical contact, with the mouth and genitalia the most commonly affected areas, he said.
People who do not realize that they have an infection can spread it by touching their ears and nose, he said.
HPV infections are easily ignored, as there are usually no detectable symptoms in the early stages, hospital dean Hung Hung-chang (洪弘昌) said.
Most people become aware of an infection only after it affects their living quality, Hung said.
If the symptoms are not treated immediately, an infection can lead to cancer, he said.
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