Taichung Veterans General Hospital yesterday said it has developed the world’s first vaccine patch to treat bites from the Forcipomyia taiwana, a biting midge also known as the “little black mosquito,” which is responsible for many irritating bites in the summer.
Chen Yi-hsing (陳怡行), a doctor at the hospital’s Department of Allergies, Immunology and Rheumatology, said the human body shows a strong immune reaction to the allergen introduced by the pest.
Common symptoms include blisters, swelling, fever and swollen lymph nodes, she said.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
Working with hospital researcher Lee Mei-fang (李美芳), Chen used secretions from the salivary glands of the F taiwana to isolate the allergen and, using protein purification techniques, made a DNA-based vaccine patch.
Tests on laboratory mice showed that applying a single patch for one hour per week for three weeks produced protective antibodies in the rodents, while causing a decline in the immunoglobulin E count, Chen said.
Following treatment, there was a definitive decrease in inflammatory cell infiltration among mice bitten by F taiwana, she said.
The test results showed that the patches are effective, she added.
If used on humans, the patches could have lasting effects for as long as 10 years, Chen said, adding that she hoped to start human trials as soon as possible.
There is a considerable number of people in Taiwan who are allergic to F taiwana bites, she said.
At least 10 percent of the people who went for allergy testing at the hospital turned out to be allergic to the bites, she added.
F taiwana are very small and are more likely to bite exposed skin during the day, Chen said.
As the insects usually move in groups, people who notice a bite have usually been bitten several times already, she said.
Most mosquito repellents have little to no effect against F taiwana and only repellents that contain DEET are effective, she added.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS