The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday confirmed another nine cases of bacillary dysentery in Taipei County's Tamshui area, after six residents had already reportedly contracted the disease earlier this month.
Officials at the DOH's Center for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday all nine people confirmed to have been infected live in the vicinity of the apartment building where the other six live.
Six of the nine people are students at a primary school located in the neighborhood, officials said. Officials said they suspect that a store selling crushed-ice desserts was the origin of infection, as half of these 15 people had patronized this store before getting sick.
While a worker in the store has had symptoms of dysentery as well, two CDC officials also became sick soon after they had eaten the store's ice desserts -- during their recent visit to the community to investigate the dysentery infection, officials said.
Local health authorities first notified the CDC on May 28 that some residents living in a same apartment building had shown symptoms of diarrhea, fever and vomiting.
The CDC released its test results on June 5, confirming that six residents of this apartment building had contracted bacillary dysentery. As these six cases were discovered during a period when water-rationing measures were implemented, the CDC had focused their suspicion on contaminated tap water, until the reports of the latest nine cases.
CDC officials, however, said they need to conduct further investigation to determine if the crushed-ice dessert store was the origin of infection.
Health authorities have ordered the store to suspend business before the investigation is finished, in light of the possibility that the disease could be spread further. Bacillary dysentery is a highly communicable intestinal infection caused by a group of Shigella bacteria, which can be found in the intestines of a person who is infected.
To prevent the disease, health officials urged the public to boil water before drinking, avoid eating uncooked food and wash their hands frequently.
According to the CDC, bacillary dysentery is spread by eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water or by direct contact with an infected person.
Fecally contaminated water and unsanitary handling of food are the most common causes of contamination.
The incubation period of the disease could last from 12 hours to 96 hours, and even one week in some cases. In addition to diarrhea, fever and vomiting, other symptoms include abdominal pain, cramps and bloody or mucoid stools, the CDC said.
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