The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the nation’s first severe case of swine flu, which involves a man who contracted the A(H1N1) influenza virus locally.
The 34-year-old victim, who came down with a fever, a cough and a sore throat on July 2, was hospitalized on July 9 with tachypnea, or abnormally fast breathing, the CDC said.
“What concerns us most is that he has passed the virus onto another two victims, who also tested positive for the virus at the same time,” CDC spokesman Lin Ting (林頂) said.
Lin said the patient was being treated in an intensive care unit after he showed signs of multiple organ failure.
The male patient, who is from Kaohsiung but works as a salesman in Taipei, has not been abroad, which suggests a community outbreak may have begun, especially after the other two people who came into contact with the patient also tested positive for the virus, he said.
The other two patients are recovering, Lin said.
CDC statistics show that as of noon yesterday, there had been 93 recorded cases of A(H1N1) influenza infections in Taiwan.
The results of community surveillance conducted since last month show that of all the patients who have tested positive for influenza A, 88 percent were of the H1N1 subtype, the CDC said.
The results of a computer simulation indicate that the number of infections caused by the new strain has likely exceeded 1,000, it said.
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
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VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
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