Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) last week confirmed the first domestic cases of a zoonotic vector-borne emerging infectious disease called the Tembusu virus in northern and central areas of the country. Detection of the virus within the nation’s borders follows previously confirmed cases in Malaysia, China and Thailand, making Taiwan the fourth country in the world with cases of the disease.
The Tembusu virus was first discovered within duck farms in eastern China in 2010. According to Animal Health Research Institute Director-General Chiou Chwei-jang, in November last year the institute began to investigate a duck farm which was experiencing reduced egg production. Testing initially failed to provide an answer, but a meeting of experts in December confirmed the existence of Tembusu virus at the farm. The virus is mainly spread by mosquitoes during the summer months.
Chiou says the virus primarily affects egg laying and the mortality rate among poultry is quite low; as such the risk to the poultry industry is limited. However, Chiou advises duck farms to guard against secondary infection, which could lead to increased mortality rates if ducks are infected by the virus a second time. For consumers, eating poultry meat and eggs does not pose a health risk, so long as it is cooked through, Chiou adds.
Photo: Liberty Times 照片：自由時報
According to CDC researcher Shu Pei-yun, in 2005 the CDC established a vector mosquito monitoring program to monitor dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis vectors, and which also checks for the Tembusu virus. Last year, the Tembusu virus was detected in culex mosquitoes within a northern wetland area and in tiger mosquitoes near a pigsty in central Taiwan. Shu says the strain of Tembusu virus detected in Taiwan is different from that found in other countries, suggesting that a new strain has developed in Taiwan.
Shu adds that although the virus was detected for the first time last year, it may have already been present in Taiwan for some time, undetected. Research teams are working on the assumption the disease came to Taiwan in 2010, since there was a severe outbreak of the Tembusu virus in China that year. The virus may have come to Taiwan via migratory birds, like Japanese encephalitis and the H7N9 avian influenza virus, Shu says.
The Tembusu virus was discovered for the first time in Malaysia in 1955. It is an emerging infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes and is zoonotic, which means it can be spread among infected poultry animals. Case of infection in humans have been detected in Malaysia and China, however the infected individuals presented no significant symptoms.
(Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times)
衛福部疾管署上週表示，首度在國內北部、中部的蚊子身上，發現人畜共通新興傳染病坦布蘇病毒，成為繼馬來西亞、中國、泰國之後，全球第四個發現此病毒的國家。
坦布蘇病毒二○一○年曾在中國東部鴨場爆發疫情，農委會家畜衛生試驗所所長邱垂章表示，去年十一月與試驗所合作的鴨場產蛋率大降，送驗後卻查不出原因，十二月經專家會議確認是感染「坦布蘇病毒」，病毒的傳播主要跟蚊蟲有關，夏天是好發時間。
邱垂章表示，坦布蘇病毒主要影響下蛋率，不會使家禽大規模暴斃，產業損失影響有限。但他建議鴨農要小心該病毒二次感染，避免鴨子因受到再次感染，死亡率提升，禽肉與蛋只要煮熟，不會有安全問題。
疾管署研究員舒佩芸表示，疾管署自二○○五年執行病媒蚊監測計畫，除了登革熱、日本腦炎外，同步檢測坦布蘇病毒，直到去年才在北部濕地的環紋家蚊及中部豬舍附近的三斑家蚊發現坦布蘇病毒，且與其他國家發現的病毒株均不同，是一種新型的病毒株。
舒佩芸指出，國內雖是去年發現，但可能之前就有，只是過去沒被測到，目前推估應是二○一○年後出現，因為當年度中國爆發的疫情滿嚴重，研判可能如日本腦炎或禽流感由候鳥傳播而來。
坦布蘇病毒於一九五五年首度在馬來西亞被發現，是人畜共通的新興疾病，傳播途徑可能包含透過蚊子傳播給家禽或人類，家禽間也可能互相傳染，在馬來西亞、中國研究發現有感染人類狀況，但感染者基本上沒什麼症狀。
(自由時報記者林惠琴、楊媛婷)
The cocoa industry is currently facing a crisis, with this year’s cocoa trading price soaring to an unprecedented $10,000 per ton—a 400 percent increase from last year—stemming from diminished crop yields. Given cocoa’s indispensable role in chocolate-making, this surge has driven up chocolate prices and triggered concerns about the sustainability of global chocolate production. West Africa, home to over half of the world’s cocoa trees, is at the center of this issue. The Republic of Cote d’Ivoire and the Republic of Ghana, in particular, are facing severe challenges from both natural disasters and human-induced factors, substantially impacting cocoa harvests. Climate change, with
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the depths of the Pacific Ocean: oxygen production without the involvement of living organisms. Four kilometers below the surface where sunlight cannot reach, researchers have found metallic lumps generating what they term “dark oxygen.” This form of oxygen is produced through a process independent of photosynthesis. Unlike the traditional photosynthesis process, where organisms use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to create energy and oxygen, the newly discovered phenomenon operates in complete darkness. The accidental finding occurred during a study of metal-rich lumps in an abyssal plain between Hawaii and Mexico. These lumps, known as
A: What were the highest-grossing films globally last year? B: “Inside Out 2” was the highest, followed by “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Despicable Me 4,” “Dune: Part 2” and “Moana 2.” A: “Inside Out 2” was also the highest-grossing film in Taiwan. B: It grossed nearly US$1.7 billion worldwide, or NT$55 billion, becoming the best-selling animated film of all time. A: I can’t believe I missed the movie last year. A: 去年全球最賣座的電影有哪些？ B: 冠軍是《腦筋急轉彎2》，其後是《死侍與金鋼狼》、《神偷奶爸4》、《沙丘：第2部》、《海洋奇緣2》。 A: 《腦2》也是去年台灣票房冠軍耶。 B: 這部鉅片狂賣近17億美元，約550億台幣，成為全球影史最賣座動畫電影！ A: 真不敢相信我錯過了這部強片。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: In addition to “Inside Out 2” at the top, what were the other highest-grossing films domestically last year? B: “Gatao: Like Father, Like Son” was the only Taiwanese movie among the top 10 blockbusters, which included five animated films. A: I’m surprised that the Taiwanese hit “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon” wasn’t on the chart. B: But it grossed over 500 million Chinese yuan in China, which is nearly NT$2.5 billion. The figure was five times higher than that of the best-selling film in Taiwan. A: Its success shows that Taiwanese movies should go international. A:
RSS