The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday announced the nation’s first death from mpox in an unvaccinated man from northern Taiwan who had undiagnosed AIDS.
The man in his 30s began developing skin ulcers in August, but waited until Sept. 11 to seek treatment, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.
By that time his immune response had already weakened severely and his entire body was covered in infected lesions, Lin said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
Testing revealed that the man also had AIDS, which had previously gone undiagnosed, he said.
Despite receiving antiviral therapy and multiple surgeries, his immune response continued to weaken, Lin said, adding that his condition deteriorated on Oct. 22 before he passed away on Wednesday last week.
To date, 355 cases of mpox have been diagnosed in Taiwan, 338 of which were domestically transmitted and 17 imported, CDC data showed.
Of them, 343 have fully recovered, while 12 are convalescing at home.
A total of 108,860 mpox vaccines have been administered, with 39,558 people having received two doses and 29,744 having received one dose, data showed.
Vaccines are still available at 155 medical institutions nationwide, the CDC said, encouraging those at risk who remain unvaccinated to make an appointment.
The international mpox outbreak has continued, with the western Pacific and Southeast Asia seeing spikes starting from July, the CDC said.
There have also been signs of a resurgence in Europe starting in September, and cases continue to steadily climb in the Americas, it added.
Although most cases are mild, those with pre-existing conditions run the risk of developing severe symptoms such as sepsis and encephalitis that could lead to death, the CDC said.
The Taipei City Government yesterday said contractors organizing its New Year’s Eve celebrations would be held responsible after a jumbo screen played a Beijing-ran television channel near the event’s end. An image showing China Central Television (CCTV) Channel 3 being displayed was posted on the social media platform Threads, sparking an outcry on the Internet over Beijing’s alleged political infiltration of the municipal government. A Taipei Department of Information and Tourism spokesman said event workers had made a “grave mistake” and that the Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) group had the contract to operate the screens. The city would apply contractual penalties on TVBS
A new board game set against the backdrop of armed conflict around Taiwan is to be released next month, amid renewed threats from Beijing, inviting players to participate in an imaginary Chinese invasion 20 years from now. China has ramped up military activity close to Taiwan in the past few years, including massing naval forces around the nation. The game, titled 2045, tasks players with navigating the troubles of war using colorful action cards and role-playing as characters involved in operations 10 days before a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan. That includes members of the armed forces, Chinese sleeper agents and pro-China politicians
The lowest temperature in a low-lying area recorded early yesterday morning was in Miaoli County’s Gongguan Township (公館), at 6.8°C, due to a strong cold air mass and the effect of radiative cooling, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. In other areas, Chiayi’s East District (東區) recorded a low of 8.2°C and Yunlin County’s Huwei Township (虎尾) recorded 8.5°C, CWA data showed. The cold air mass was at its strongest from Saturday night to the early hours of yesterday. It brought temperatures down to 9°C to 11°C in areas across the nation and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties,
STAY VIGILANT: When experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, such as dizziness or fatigue, near a water heater, open windows and doors to ventilate the area Rooftop flue water heaters should only be installed outdoors or in properly ventilated areas to prevent toxic gas from building up, the Yilan County Fire Department said, after a man in Taipei died of carbon monoxide poisoning on Monday last week. The 39-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), an assistant professor at Providence University in Taichung, was at his Taipei home for the holidays when the incident occurred, news reports said. He was taking a shower in the bathroom of a rooftop addition when carbon monoxide — a poisonous byproduct of combustion — leaked from a water heater installed in a poorly ventilated