The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday warned the public against eating raw or unsterilized foods when traveling after a woman who took a tour to northern Africa and ate raw meat and cheese there was recently diagnosed with brucellosis.
CDC Deputy Director Chou Chih-hao (周志浩) said that a 54-year-old woman living in northern Taiwan fell sick after returning home from a trip to Algeria and Morocco in February and March, where she came into contact with camels and other animals and consumed raw beef, raw lamb and cheese.
Last month, after having returned home, the woman developed a fever, muscle pain and abnormal liver functions. After seeking medical help and informing her doctor of her travel history, she was diagnosed with brucellosis. After receiving treatment at a hospital, she has now recovered, Chou said.
Brucellosis is caused by contact with animals or animal products, such as unpasteurized dairy products or raw meat, from animals carrying the Brucella bacteria. Human-to-human transmission is rare.
CDC officials immediately contacted 23 other Taiwanese who were in the same tour group. Tests showed none of the others had contracted the disease.
Common symptoms of brucellosis include inconstant fever, muscle pain, headaches, profuse sweating, abdominal pain, feeling of exhaustion and back pain, Chou said. The disease may affect a person for anywhere from a few weeks to many months or even years.
The CDC said that those who experience such symptoms, especially after traveling to high-risk areas such as the Middle East, Mediterranean countries, north and east Africa and Central and South America, should immediately seek medical attention.
Those who plan to visit such areas should also avoid consuming raw or unsterilized foods such as ice cream, cheese or yogurt made with unpasteurized milk, health officials said.
Chou said that coming into contact with secretions from infected animals could also cause contraction of the disease, but that this form of infection is not as common as eating raw foods from infected sources.
Those who have pets at home, but have not traveled to high-risk countries need not worry, the CDC said.
The first reported case of human brucellosis in Taiwan was documented in 1978 by a person who became infected while engaged in laboratory work. Brucellosis is listed as a reportable communicable disease in Taiwan.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS