As of yesterday noon, 41 residents of Xishan Borough (溪山) in Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) had developed symptoms of stomach flu, which might have been caused by consuming mountain spring water, with 30 of them having sought medical treatment, the Taipei Department of Health said.
The other 11 are recuperating at home and nobody is in a serious condition, the department said.
On Thursday, Xishan Borough Warden Huang Hui-fen (黃慧芬) said that since Wednesday last week, when an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale rocked Taiwan, about 100 borough residents had reported symptoms of acute gastroenteritis — or stomach flu — including vomiting and diarrhea.
Photo: CNA
The sick all live in the same water source area, she said, adding that many households in the area have their own water supply system instead of the tap water provided by the Taipei Water Department and many saw three to four family members display similar symptoms.
The incident might have been caused by the powerful quake, as the seismic activities could have tainted the water source, Huang said.
As of press time, there had been no official statement confirming Huang’s hypothesis.
Also yesterday, the Taipei Water Department said in a statement that an inspection conducted on Monday indicated a higher-than-usual amount of Escherichia coli, or E coli, was present in the untreated spring water they used.
Such water must always be boiled before drinking due to the possibility of contamination, it said.
E coli is a common kind of bacterium found in the intestines of humans and other warm-blooded animals, but its presence in food and water is a strong indicator of contamination, Centers for Disease Control spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑惠) said.
Food poisoning induced by the bacteria usually takes place five to 48 hours after consuming contaminated substances, and the seriousness of the symptoms varies largely from person to person, with cases involving younger people tending to be more severe, Tseng said.
By Thursday evening, the water department had set up five temporary stands to provide residents with clean water.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
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