A 27-year-old Taiwanese man has been confirmed to have the nation’s third case of imported measles this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Tuesday, adding that the man became infected while on vacation in Europe.
The man, who lives in northern Taiwan, visited France, Belgium and the Netherlands as a member of a tour group from March 7 to March 15. He transferred flights in Bangkok before returning to Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said.
The man first went to a clinic complaining of a fever on March 19, then returned on Thursday last week when his symptoms persisted, Lo said, adding that the next day, after developing a rash, he sought treatment at a hospital.
The hospital reported the case and asked the man to quarantine himself at home, Lo said, adding that test results on Tuesday confirmed that he has measles.
“Measles can easily be misdiagnosed as hives, which is caused by an allergic reaction,” Lo said. “Measles has an incubation period of about seven days and the man was likely infected during his vacation in Europe.”
Outbreaks of measles have been reported in European countries and in Thailand, so the centers is unable to specify the exact location he became infected, but it is monitoring the condition of 166 people who came into direct contact with the man after his return to Taiwan, he said.
However, the man caught a bus from Hsinchu to MRT Dapinglin Station in New Taipei City at 11am on Friday last week, so people who were on the same vehicle, operated by Yalan Bus, should be alert for any symptoms, which would likely manifest themselves by tomorrow, and seek medical treatment if they suspect they have the disease, Lo said.
A unique feature of measles is that a rash usually appears on the head and neck that then spreads to the rest of the body, Lo said.
“All three cases of measles reported this year were imported from abroad,” he said, adding that of other nations in the region, China has reported the most measles cases — about 1,200 — this year.
The prevalence of the disease in Europe seems to be increasing, with Romania bearing the brunt of infections, reporting about 3,800 cases this year, he said.
Vaccinations are the best prevention for the disease, and the centers encourages parents to take their children for a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine before their first birthday, he said.
About 20 percent of Taiwanese in their 20s and 30s might not have immunity against measles, so they should request an MMR vaccine at least two weeks before they travel to areas where the disease has been reported, he said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
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
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
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