A woman yesterday became Taiwan’s first confirmed domestic cholera case in two years after consuming raw oysters and shrimp, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said.
The 40-year-old woman from central Taiwan developed persistent diarrhea on Oct. 18, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) told a news conference.
She was admitted to hospital four days later, he said, adding that her condition had worsened, and she was experiencing vertigo, nausea and watery diarrhea.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
Doctors took a fecal bacterial sample, from which they detected signs of cholera, he added.
The CDC received the hospital’s report on Friday last week and its scientists found that the woman had cholera of the O1-Ogawa strain, he said.
The woman has a history of high blood pressure, cancer and stomach ulcers, and regularly takes strong stomach medicine, he said, adding that she had not traveled domestically or internationally in the weeks before contracting the disease.
The CDC determined that she contracted the disease from seafood, which she prepared and ate at home, Chuang said.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has begun testing samples taken from the woman’s family members and tracing the source of contamination, he said, adding that the two people living with the woman have no symptoms.
Taiwan reported seven indigenous cholera cases in 2018, no cases in 2019, one case in 2020 and no cases last year, he said, adding that no imported cases have been reported in the past few years.
Cholera is an acute bacterial infectious disease with an asymptomatic period of two to three days, he said, adding that contaminated food or water are its main transmission vectors.
People with low or suppressed stomach acid levels, past stomach removal surgeries or a compromised immune system are more susceptible to the disease, while people with healthy digestive systems can ingest a comparatively large quantity of the bacteria without contracting the disease, Chuang said.
Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes the disease, is typically found in dirty water, he said, adding that the seafood the woman ate might have been harvested from contaminated water.
The CDC recommends people to consume only fully cooked food and boiled water, arrange kitchens in a way that avoids the cross-contamination of ingredients, and wash their hands frequently, he said.
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
TECH PROGRAM: A US official said that an important part of the delegation’s trip would be to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co executives The US is to send officials in charge of chip development to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to promote cooperation in the global semiconductor supply chain, the US Department of Commerce said on Tuesday. Chips Program Office Director Michael Schmidt announced the visit, which marks the first time officials from the office are to visit the three nations since it was set up in September last year. “As semiconductors and technologies continue to evolve, the United States will keep working with allies and partners to develop coordinated strategies to ensure that malign actors cannot use the latest technologies to undermine our collective
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number