The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday urged people to remain alert against scrub typhus, especially those traveling to rural areas during the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday.
The nation usually experiences a jump in scrub typhus cases in April and May, with cases peaking in June and July, the CDC said.
It has recorded 16 cases this year, mostly in eastern Taiwan, which is fewer than those seen during the same period over the past two years, when 40 to 50 cases were recorded.
Photo: CNA
CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) at a news conference provided recommendations on how to avoid the disease.
The disease is caused by trombiculid mites, which hide in the grass and bushes, and attach themselves to humans or animals, Lin said.
However, the mites do not bite their hosts within 12 to 20 hours of attachment, he said, adding that people who have visited high-risk areas should shower and change clothes once they return home to ensure they do not contract the disease.
Lin said people should also wear trousers and long-sleeved shirts, and use bug repellent to avoid picking up mites.
The disease has an incubation period of nine to 12 days, Lin said, adding that parasite-carrying mites leave a scar at the bite site.
Initial symptoms include a high fever, headache and enlarged lymph nodes, and are followed by a maculopapular rash about a week later, he added.
People with symptoms should seek medical attention immediately, as, if left untreated, the disease has a fatality rate of 60 percent, due to pneumonia or organ failure, he added.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
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
‘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
RSS