An outbreak of melioidosis in Taiwan, which began after Typhoon Gaemi hit the country last month, could have been caused by “immunity theft,” a condition where the immune system is damaged after a COVID-19 infection, an infectious diseases specialist said on Wednesday.
Thirty-seven cases of locally acquired melioidosis have been recorded in Taiwan this year, the most for the same period since 2006, with 30 of the cases reported after Typhoon Gaemi made landfall in the country on July 25, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Tuesday.
The 30 cases were recorded in Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung and Chiayi County, the CDC said.
Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control
The peak of the outbreak has passed and the number of reported cases is expected to decline significantly starting this week, it added.
While the number of melioidosis cases this year has not yet exceeded 42 — the largest outbreak in Taiwan in 2005 — the increase in infections could be due to “immunity theft,” said Huang Li-min (黃立民), an attending physician specializing in pediatric infectious diseases at National Taiwan University Hospital.
“Immunity theft” occurs when the immune system is compromised after a COVID-19 infection, making it easier for people to contract other viruses, suffer from bacterial infection or even repeat infections, Huang said.
Asked whether “immunity theft” can cause permanent damage in humans, Huang said the condition is still under observation by experts around the world and that it would take at least three more years to reach a conclusion.
Repeat COVID-19 infections weaken the immune system further, he said, urging the public to adhere to COVID-19 prevention guidelines, including getting vaccinations and wearing a mask.
Melioidosis is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, which can be found in soil and in stagnant water. It is primarily transmitted through open wounds that come into contact with contaminated soil or water, or by inhaling contaminated dust, soil or water droplets, the CDC said.
The strong winds and heavy rain brought by a typhoon can cause the bacteria to be exposed from soil and mud, facilitating its spread, the CDC 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
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS