Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-01
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The New Taipei City government will provide free blood tests for infants aged six or below

New Taipei to offer free blood tests. Central News Agency

and pregnant women who may have been exposed to lead from water pipes that were installed decades ago, the city’s Department of Health said Sunday.

Those affected are entitled to seek tests in the four designated Public Health Centers in Sanchong, Zhonghe, Yonghe, and Xindian, where there are estimated 10,066 households still fed water through small-diameter lead pipes, reports said.

Besides Taipei City, the Taipei Water Department currently serves water to the districts of Zhonghe, Yonghe, Xindian, and Sanchong in New Taipei, and to part of Xizhi District.

Health authorities are also looking for support from the city government to allow residents in the greater Taipei area to seek tests in six Taipei City Hospitals.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/29
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) The number of dengue fever infections reported in Taiwan since the

start of May has reached 28,429, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

The latest figure represents an increase of 328 cases from the previous day, the CDC said.

As of Wednesday, 21,523 cases had been reported in the southern municipality of Tainan and 6,402 in neighboring Kaohsiung, according to CDC figures.

In Tainan, the number of infections increased by 86 from the previous day, but that was 75 fewer new cases than reported on the same day last week in the city, the CDC said.

Kaohsiung, meanwhile, reported 233 new cases, 71 more than the increase on the same day last week, showing signs of an intensifying outbreak there, the agency said.     [FULL  STORY]

Voice of Americ News
Date: October 27, 2015
By: Ralph Jennings

Taiwanese officials are reporting their most severe outbreak of dengue fever ever. More

FILE – Dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes.

than 100 people have died despite the efforts of a robust healthcare system, putting Taiwan on a level with poorer Asian countries that grapple every year with the mosquito-borne disease.

Dengue fever has touched nearly every part of Asia and regularly threatens about 1.8 billion people in the region. Subtropical Taiwan always gets a few cases, but this year the western Pacific island is fighting its biggest outbreak ever, with more than 23,000 sick people as of mid-October.

Dengue fever cases spiked this year from the annual average of 1,000 to 2,000 because of high heat and the Taiwanese habit of collecting fresh water – that quickly breeds mosquitoes as it stands. Lin Sheng-che, health department director in Tainan, the Taiwanese city with the most dengue fever cases this year, points to standing water as the chief aggravator.

He said one source of standing water are water vessels people often have outdoors, such as scoop basins and water bowls for their dogs, and that those are being taken back in. He suggested people look around their home for any such containers and dump out the water as soon as possible.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/24
By: Huang Chiao-wen and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Oct. 24 (CNA) Some 3,500 ducks on a farm in Pingtung County’s

Photo courtesy of Pingtung County Government

Gaoshu (高樹) township were culled Saturday after a highly pathogenic strain of the avian influenza virus was detected on the farm, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said.

Poultry raised on the farm were sampled for tests because it is near another farm where avian influenza virus had been discovered, the bureau said.

Test results released Friday showed that the ducks were infected with a new strain of the H5N2 avian influenza virus, according to the bureau.      [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/23
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) Taiwan has reported another 307 cases of dengue fever, bringing the total number of infections since the start of May to 26,660, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Friday.

As of the previous day, Kaohsiung and Tainan, where the dengue fever outbreak is concentrated, reported 185 and 119 new daily cases, respectively.

The other three new cases comprised two in Pingtung County and one in Hualien County, the CDC said.

It appeared that the dengue fever outbreak was continuing to abate in Tainan, where 20,942 cases have been recorded so far.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/22
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) Disease control efforts against dengue fever will be elevated in the southern city of Kaohsiung, where more than 5,000 cases have been reported since May 1, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

As of the previous day, the city had reported 5,072 cases, an increase of 162 cases from a day earlier.

Nationwide, 26,353 cases had been reported, including 20,823 cases in neighboring Tainan, where the mosquito-borne disease has been centered this year.     [FULL  STORY]

Outbreak News
Date: October 20, 2015
By: Staff

Late last week, Taiwanese health officials announced one new indigenous measles case confirmed in a 19-year-old male who resides in Xinying District, Tainan City. The case history is as follows:

On October 8, the case sought medical attention at a clinic after experiencing

Measles/CDC

sore throat, cough and yellow phlegm. On the next day, when his symptoms persisted and he developed rashes on his limbs, he sought further medical attention at a clinic on October 10 and then returned home. On October 11, when he was still experiencing discomfort, he sought medical assistance at a hospital and was placed in an isolation ward for treatment. Infection with measles was confirmed in the case after the hospital reported the suspected case to the health authority. As of now, the case has been discharged.     [FULL STORY]