The public should beware of venomous snakes during tomb-sweeping or other outdoor activities, because spring has arrived and snakes are coming out of hibernation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
There are 16 species of poisonous snakes in the nation, six of which are capable of severely wounding or even killing humans, said Jean-Jay Mao (毛俊傑), an assistant professor in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at National Ilan University.
“The six dangerous snakes are the Taiwanese krait, the Taiwan cobra, the Siamese Russell’s viper, the Taiwan habus, or pointed-scale pit viper, the Taiwan bamboo viper, and the hundred pacer, or Chinese moccasin,” Mao said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“The venom of the first two contains hemorrhagic toxins, the venom of the last three contains neurotoxins and the Russell’s vipers’ venom contains both types of toxins,” he added.
People who plan to go to mountainous areas should wear long-sleeved shirts, pants and boots for protection against snake bites, he said.
“Carrying a stick to probe an area before stepping into it is necessary and effective. People should also avoid putting their hands or feet into crevasses, holes or bushes without caution, and should carry a torch if they venture into places with little light,” Mao said.
Liu Yu-lun (劉宇倫), a disease prevention physician working at the CDC, offered instructions on the steps to follow if bitten by a snake.
“The first thing is to stay calm and try to remember the distinguishing marks of the snake, such as its shape, color and other features,” Liu said.
“Apply an elastic bandage or the like 5cm to 10cm from the bite. Keep the affected limb lower than the heart. Take off all metallic products from the bitten extremity. Do not try to suck the venom out of the snakebite, and take the victim to hospital immediately,” he added.
According to CDC statistics, about 1,000 people in Taiwan fall victim to snakebites every year, mostly by the Taiwan bamboo viper, the Taiwan habus and the Taiwan cobra.
The center said that the mortality rate from snakebites is very low in Taiwan, and with a large amount of antivenom in storage, the rate is expected to be less than 1 percent.
DEEPER REVIEW: After receiving 19 hospital reports of suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health applied for an epidemiological investigation A buffet restaurant in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) is to be fined NT$3 million (US$91,233) after it remained opened despite an order to suspend operations following reports that 32 people had been treated for suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. The health department said it on Tuesday received reports from hospitals of people who had suspected food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, after they ate at an INPARADISE (饗饗) branch in Breeze Xinyi on Sunday and Monday. As more than six people who ate at the restaurant sought medical treatment, the department ordered the
A strong continental cold air mass and abundant moisture bringing snow to mountains 3,000m and higher over the past few days are a reminder that more than 60 years ago Taiwan had an outdoor ski resort that gradually disappeared in part due to climate change. On Oct. 24, 2021, the National Development Council posted a series of photographs on Facebook recounting the days when Taiwan had a ski resort on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County. More than 60 years ago, when developing a branch of the Central Cross-Island Highway, the government discovered that Hehuanshan, with an elevation of more than 3,100m,
Taiwan’s population last year shrank further and births continued to decline to a yearly low, the Ministry of the Interior announced today. The ministry published the 2024 population demographics statistics, highlighting record lows in births and bringing attention to Taiwan’s aging population. The nation’s population last year stood at 23,400,220, a decrease of 20,222 individuals compared to 2023. Last year, there were 134,856 births, representing a crude birth rate of 5.76 per 1,000 people, a slight decline from 2023’s 135,571 births and 5.81 crude birth rate. This decrease of 715 births resulted in a new record low per the ministry’s data. Since 2016, which saw
SECURITY: To protect the nation’s Internet cables, the navy should use buoys marking waters within 50m of them as a restricted zone, a former navy squadron commander said A Chinese cargo ship repeatedly intruded into Taiwan’s contiguous and sovereign waters for three months before allegedly damaging an undersea Internet cable off Kaohsiung, a Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) investigation revealed. Using publicly available information, the Liberty Times was able to reconstruct the Shunxing-39’s movements near Taiwan since Double Ten National Day last year. Taiwanese officials did not respond to the freighter’s intrusions until Friday last week, when the ship, registered in Cameroon and Tanzania, turned off its automatic identification system shortly before damage was inflicted to a key cable linking Taiwan to the rest of
RSS