離開
進入《TAIPEI TIMES》First cholera case in three years reported
Centers for Disease Control Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA
By Hou Chia-yu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Centers for Disease Control （CDC） yesterday reported the first locally acquired case of cholera in three years.
CDC Deputy Director-General and spokeswoman Tseng Shu-hui （曾淑慧） said that a 70-year-old woman in southern Taiwan early this month reported symptoms including diarrhea, nausea and cramps.
The woman consulted a doctor and was advised to rest, CDC physician Lin Leng （林稜） said.
However, she sought medical help again for cramps, dehydration and abnormal kidney functions, Lin said, adding that the woman was admitted to an intensive care unit and discharged after a week.
While the patient has recovered, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is investigating the origins of the infection, the CDC said.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infectious disease caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria and is usually spread through contaminated food or drinking water, Lin said, adding that the disease has an incubation period of several hours to five days.
Typical symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and rapid dehydration resulting in an electrolyte imbalance, which can lead to shock, kidney failure or death, Lin said, adding that delaying treatment can lead to a death rate in excess of 50 percent.
People with insufficient stomach acid and those taking antacid medication facer a higher risk of contracting cholera, as they would be less protected, she said.
Six people the woman had contact with had not developed symptoms, the CDC said.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin （李佳琳） said that while Taiwan has had only sporadic cholera cases, WHO data show that as of April, there were 79,000 cases, including 1,010 deaths globally, mostly confined to Africa, the eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia.
People should refrain from eating sashimi, raw oysters or uncooked crustaceans, and should wash their hands thoroughly with soap before and after handling food, the CDC said.
The agency also reported an imported case of malaria, resulting in the hospitalization of a foreign national aged 20.
The person’s condition is still being monitored, it said.
The person contracted malaria in Pakistan last year, Lin said, adding that symptoms, including fever and vomiting, re-emerged early this month.
Hospital tests showed that the patient had vivax malaria, most likely because they had not completed a treatment regime, she said.
Taiwan has had two reported malaria cases so far this year, with the cases imported from Ethiopia and Pakistan, the CDC said.
Internationally, 94 percent of malaria cases this year have been reported in Africa, with Indonesia reporting more than 200,000 cases, it said.
People planning to visit countries where malaria is endemic should consult a health professional a month before departure and take the recommended medication to prevent malaria, Tseng said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
