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.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS