Nipah virus infection has been officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said today.
No confirmed cases have been detected in Taiwan in humans or animals to date, the CDC said.
Suspected cases of Nipah virus must be reported within 24 hours, and suspected patients must undergo testing and isolation treatment, with samples sent to the CDC’s Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, the CDC said.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
Physicians who encounter suspected cases should admit patients to negative-pressure isolation wards for treatment and implement strict contact, droplet and airborne precautions, it said.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease, with transmission primarily occurring through unprotected contact with infected pigs or their contaminated tissue, consumption of food contaminated by fruit bat urine or saliva, and close contact in healthcare settings or with infected patients, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokeswoman Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said.
The public is advised to avoid contact with bats and consuming contaminated food, the CDC said.
Symptoms include a fever of 38°C or higher, along with neurological symptoms such as confusion or seizures, or respiratory symptoms such as a cough or shortness of breath, it said.
Those who experience symptoms and have traveled to affected areas or been exposed within the previous 21 days meet the criteria for reporting, the CDC said.
The new categorization aims to protect public health, raise awareness, enhance early warning systems and enable the rapid mobilization of resources should an outbreak occur, Tseng said.
India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand have already classified the virus as a notifiable disease, she said.
Taiwan has had the capacity to test for Nipah virus since 2000, and it was listed as a “key surveillance disease” in 2018 to improve monitoring, she added.
Outbreaks of Nipah virus have occurred since 1998 in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore, she said.
There have been more than 750 confirmed cases worldwide, with a fatality rate of approximately 40 to 75 percent, she added.
Cases continue to occur in Bangladesh and India, and there are no approved treatments or vaccines, she said.
Additional reporting by Hou Chia-yu
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS