With the scrub typhus season approaching, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday advised people to cover up when sweeping tombs or doing other activities outdoors, as the fatality rate can be as high as 60 percent without proper treatment.
Cases of scrub typhus usually begin to increase in April and reach their peak in May or June, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said.
As of Monday, 27 cases had been reported this year, with 12 of them occurring in Hualien and Taitung, CDC data showed.
Prior years had more cases in the same period — 43 cases in 2019 and 37 cases last year — with most of the infections occurring in Hualien, Taitung and the outlying islands, the data showed.
Scrub typhus is usually transmitted to humans when they are bitten by chiggers, or larval mites, that are infected with bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.
Occurring nine to 12 days after a bite, scrub typhus symptoms can include fever, headache, enlarged lymph nodes, macular or maculopapular rash, and a dark and scab-like region at the site of the chigger bite, he said.
“Some of those infected might also experience coughing or pneumonia, and if the infection progresses untreated, organ failure,” Lin said. “The fatality rate can reach up to 60 percent, although it can drop below 5 percent if it is properly treated with antibiotics.”
Chiggers are typically in dense grass and bushes, and people can get bitten if they pass through the area, so the CDC advises people to wear light-colored clothing with long sleeves and long pants, and to apply insect repellent to exposed skin when participating in Tomb Sweeping Festival or other outdoor activities, he said.
Chiggers might be attached to people’s clothing if they have walked through grass and bushes, so they should take a bath and wash their clothes after walking through areas that might have the insects, Lin said.
If people think that they have scrub typhus symptoms, they should immediately seek medical attention, he added.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
RSS