Health officials suggested yesterday that people use diluted household bleaching agents to keep their homes clean and combat the threat of enterovirus, instead of ethanol-based products that do not kill the potentially lethal infant virus.
Officials at the Taoyuan County Public Health Bureau suggested using bleach to keep children safe because of statistics showing that 70 percent of patients affected by the flu-like disease this year were infants and toddlers.
The officials believe that the victims did not catch the disease in kindergartens because they were all pre-schoolers, and therefore could have been infected after coming into contact with their parents, other adult relatives or older children at home.
The Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) statistics on enterovirus outbreaks this year showed that there were 136 confirmed serious cases reported as of June 3, of which four have resulted in death.
The tallies show that 133 of the patients contracted Enterovirus Type 71 (EV 71) — a fatal strain that has spread to the nation from other Southeast Asian countries.
In comparison, there were 10 cases recorded in the same period last year, with one death, the CDC said.
Major enterovirus outbreaks occur roughly once every 10 years and the CDC has warned that this year could be part of that cycle.
Since ethyl alcohol cannot kill the virus, officials in the northern county suggested adding 20 milliliters of household bleach containing chlorine to 5 liters of tap water as a disinfectant when housecleaning.
The handy disinfectant can be applied to objects that young children often touch, such as door handles, tables, chairs, toys and books, to decrease their risk of contracting the virus.
Enterovirus is a common cause of diseases such as meningitis and miocarditis. The flu-like illness is usually contracted through direct contact with contaminated sources.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS