A new case of the potentially deadly hantavirus has been confirmed in Taiwan, giving rise to concerns of another outbreak of the rodent-borne disease in the nation, local media reported yesterday.
A 28-year-old woman from the northwest coast is the fourth case on the island this year, online media ETToday said, quoting the Department of Health.
The hantavirus, which is spread by rodent feces and can be contracted by the inhalation of contaminated dust, killed a couple earlier this year in the first fatal cases of the disease on Taiwan.
Although the woman fell ill earlier in May, suffering typical symptoms including fever, breathing difficulties and a depletion of blood cells, she has only recently been confirmed as having contracted the virus.
Authorities found evidence that rats and mice had lived in the woman's home.
No other suspected cases of the virus have surfaced.
Hantavirus was first isolated in Korea in 1976, while cases have also been recorded in North and South America, as well as Europe and Asia.
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