Taiwan last week recorded 245 medical visits for scarlet fever, the highest figure for the period in the past five years, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
"We observed that scarlet fever-related visits in Taiwan began to gradually increase around late November last year, reaching a relatively high point around mid-May this year," CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) told a regular news briefing in Taipei.
Since mid-May, the outbreak has plateaued, with most cases involving children aged three to 12, he added.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
The 245 medical visits for scarlet fever was the highest weekly figure this year and the highest for the period in the past five years, CDC spokesperson Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said.
"Scarlet fever is typically more prevalent in late spring and early summer, so the elevated case numbers during this period are not particularly surprising," he said.
There were also 239 cases in early May, suggesting that Group A Streptococcus — the bacteria responsible for the disease — has continued to spread across Taiwan since then, Lo said.
Weekly visits were often limited to just double digits between 2020 and last year, likely due to COVID-19 prevention measures, Lo said.
Although pediatricians across the country have recently also reported a noticeable increase in scarlet fever cases, patients have generally responded well to antibiotics, "with no signs of the disease becoming particularly severe," he said.
Doctors in Taiwan are well trained in treating scarlet fever with antibiotics, but patients must follow medical instructions closely, as incomplete treatment could lead to antibiotic resistance, Lo said.
Scarlet fever can be difficult to distinguish from enterovirus infections, as they share symptoms such as a fever, sore throat and a widespread rash, he said.
While it is enterovirus season, doctors and the public should exercise extra caution and consider whether symptoms might be related to a Group A Streptococcus infection, he said.
Those infected with scarlet fever should not visit public areas until they have been fever-free for more than 24 hours, the CDC said.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS