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Disease prevention starts early: Taiwan CDC releases first bilingual book set that teaches kids ways to keep sickness at bay

As part of Taiwan "Bilingual Nation" policy and to promote disease prevention awareness among children and their caregivers, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) published a bilingual picture book set titled "Chelsea and Friends" in 2019. The book set was launched on September 24 at a press conference that also highlighted the importance of handwashing. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan presided at the launch event. Celebrity and mother-of-two Melody Liu served as a campaign ambassador. She shared her experiences raising her children and gave practical advice for disease prevention, while emphasizing the importance of proper handwashing, personal health management, and timely vaccinations in preventing early childhood diseases. Deputy Minister Hsueh said that in the back-to-school season, common infectious diseases such as enterovirus and influenza can spread fast and turn into outbreaks. He said it's important to teach disease prevention to young children, instilling good personal hygiene habits and the concept of resting at home when sick. Taiwan CDC published the bilingual picture books in hopes of reaching more children and teaching them disease prevention and self-protection. These books will be gifted to 956 primary schools in rural areas across the country. Through promoting picture books, Taiwan CDC hopes to help children acquire concepts and behaviors that prevent disease. Campaign ambassador Melody also shared her experience of raising two daughters. In English and Chinese, she and two children at the press conference talked through the steps of proper handwashing, a powerful defense against diseases like enterovirus. Melody said that as the campaign ambassador, she'd already had a chance to read the illustrated books. She said they contain interesting storylines that bring dry concepts to life, allowing kids and adults to learn together as they share quality time. She highly recommended the books to any parent with a young child at home. Each of the four bilingual books focuses on an infectious disease that children may come into contact with in their everyday lives: enterovirus, novel influenza A, influenza, and viral gastroenteritis. The protagonist Chelsea and her friends guide readers in an easy-to-understand way to learn the symptoms of these diseases and means of preventing them. By reading the books, children will learn proper approaches to disease prevention, so that they can keep sickness at bay and enjoy more time being healthy and active. In addition, Taiwan CDC has partnered with Wu-Nan Culture Enterprise to hold book promotions on September 28 and 29 at the parent-child space of Taichung City's Wunan Cultural Plaza (2F, No. 6, Zhongshan Road, Central District, Taichung City). There will be storytelling for children, as well as film screenings and other activities. Everyone is invited to join in the fun and help protect the health of youngsters. Those wishing to attend are welcome to register online (https://www.accupass.com/event/1909170741514303599570).

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Taiwan CDC and National Health Research Institutes jointly introduce DIY mosquito trap to public

Taiwan has a hot climate and mosquitoes can be seen all year round. On September 10, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) held a press conference titled "Simple DIY to keep your house mosquito-free." At the press conference, Taiwan CDC invited Dr. Huang Chin-gi, an expert from the National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center under the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) and Wang Neng-po, chief of Tianliao Village in Tainan City's South District, to talk about how a mosquito Gravitrap works and ways to make DIY traps at home. Through the event, Taiwan CDC called on the public to deploy Gravitraps in order to better understand vector mosquito activities in their homes and to actively eliminate breeding sources of mosquitoes that are vectors of diseases such as dengue fever and Chikungunya fever. Mosquitoes indoors are mostly found in bathrooms, kitchens and dining rooms, said Dr. Huang Chin-gi. Therefore, observing small Gravitraps at home is a good way to understand vector mosquito activities. If the number of mosquitoes caught by the flypaper inside a Gravitrap is excessively high, the homeowner should check the surroundings for containers with standing water, and follow prevention measures to reduce mosquitoes. Dr. Huang also demonstrated how to make a DIY Gravitrap at the event. Tianliao Village Chief Wang Neng-po, who has participated in an NHRI program to deploy Gravitraps at home, shared his experience at the press conference. Local residents in Tianliao Village were worried during the outbreak of dengue fever in 2015. However, the number of vector mosquitoes decreased after residents actively installed Gravitraps in their homes. No cases of dengue fever have been reported in Tianliao Village in the past two years, a testimony of the effectiveness of Gravitraps. Taiwan CDC pointed out that eliminating mosquito breeding sources is the most effective way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. The public is urged to search for potential breeding sources, remove standing water in containers, clean the containers, and deploy Gravitraps to reduce vector mosquitoes. Hospitals and medical centers are recommended to use NS1 test kits when patients show symptoms for dengue fever, so as to facilitate prompt diagnosis and case reporting. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC's website at https://www.cdc.gov.tw, or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).

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PublishTime:2019-08-27

Taiwan CDC Awarded Patent for New Tool to Rapidly Detect Scrub Typhus Antibody

After 3 years of research from 2015 to 2017, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) has developed a new diagnostic kit to detect scrub typhus antibodies rapidly. This achievement has been published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in March 2019, and was granted a patent in Taiwan in July 2019. Currently, this new kit is commonly used in Taiwan CDC laboratories for the detection of scrub typhus infection. Traditional diagnostic kits with immunofluorescence assay (IFA) used to be considered as the gold standard method for the serological diagnosis of scrub typhus. The results indicated that the sensitivity of the new diagnostic kit (80.7%) is significantly higher than that of IFA (68.8%). In addition, the new kit can be used for screening large numbers of samples automatically. The new diagnostic kit is composed of 3 prototypes (Karp, Gilliam, and Kato) and 4 local antigens (TW-1, TW-10, TW-19, and TW-22). Among them, TW-1 is the most prevalent strain in Taiwan, TW-10 and TW-19 strains are closely related to East Asian and Southeast Asian strains, and TW-22 is a unique strain in Taiwan. The diagnostic kit had been sent to the US Naval Medical Research Center to evaluate its efficacy in June 2019. Results showed that this kit can not only detect scrub typhus infection in Taiwan, but also can be used to detect patients in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Australia. Scrub typhus is endemic in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in rural areas in Southeast Asia. A total of 270 cases of scrub typhus have been identified in Taiwan thus far this year (2019). The numbers of confirmed cases annually were between 350 and 500 in the last 5 years. Most cases were from eastern Taiwan and offshore islands. The number of scrub typhus cases peaked from May to October, with male cases outnumbering female cases, and peak incidence is found between 50 and 60 years of age. Scrub typhus is caused by the intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi following the bite of an infected larval-stage trombiculid mite (chigger). Chiggers normally stay in the grass and wait for the opportunity to climb onto humans or animals. The incubation period of the disease varies from 9 to 12 days. Clinical symptoms include persistent high fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and red punctate papule on the skin. Eschar is also a clinical feature, but it is an often ignored aspect in patients. Case fatality rate can be up to 60%, if being misdiagnosed or delayed for treatment. Therefore, people engaging in outdoor activities should wear protective clothing such as light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants, apply government-approved mosquito repellent to exposed skin, take a bath and change all clothes promptly after returning home from outdoor activities. Please seek immediate medical attention and inform the doctor of any recent travel and activity history to facilitate prompt diagnosis, case reporting, and treatment. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC's website at https://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).

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PublishTime:2019-07-30

Taiwan CDC urges nationals to monitor their own health for 21 days after returning from Ebola-affected areas and call 1922 for medical assistance if suspected symptoms develop

Regarding Ebola virus disease (EVD) infection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Taiwan CDC (TCDC) has maintained the travel notice at Level 2: Alert. The risk of domestic threats has been assessed as low, but there is still possibility of imported cases. TCDC advises travelers visiting the DRC to take precautions to reduce their risk of Ebola infection and implement self-health management for 21 days after returning. If suspected symptoms develop during the management period, please call 1922; TCDC regional centers will arrange medical assistance in collaboration with the local health bureau. TCDC further points out that if people seek medical attention on their own, they should inform the doctor of their travel and exposure history. If the case is considered to meet the clinical and epidemiological conditions of the definition of Ebola virus disease infection, the doctor should report the case within 24 hours. The patient should be taken into a negative pressure isolation ward immediately, or be placed in a single-person ward with sanitary equipment. In addition, the doctor should also contact the TCDC regional center, and the commander of the Communicable Disease Control Medical Network will assess whether the case should be treated in the same hospital or transferred. According to international monitoring data, 84 new cases of EVD were confirmed in the DRC the recent week. From May 2018 to July 21 in 2019, a cumulative total of 2,592 cases was confirmed, of which 140 were health workers. Among the confirmed cases, 1,743 have died, including 41 health workers. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Ebola outbreak in the DRC a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on July 18, 2019. TCDC once again recommends the public to avoid all nonessential travel to Ebola-affected areas, including North Kivu province and Ituri province in the DRC. If you must travel to an area with an Ebola outbreak, avoid contact with and consumption of wild animals, do not visit hospitals or have direct contact with patients, pay attention to personal hygiene and take preventive measures such as washing hands frequently and wear a mask when coughing. For more information, please visit the TCDC's website at https://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).

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PublishTime:2019-07-30

As this year's first indigenous Chikungunya case confirmed in New Taipei City, Taiwan CDC works with New Taipei City Government to implement prevention and control efforts

On July 26, 2019, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced this year's first indigenous Chikungunya case confirmed in an over 20-year-old female who resides in Yongning Village, Tucheng District, New Taipei City. She had not recently traveled overseas and her primary areas of daily activities included her residence and Pitang Village, Tucheng District. Since July 21, the case subsequently developed symptoms, including fever, joint pain, headache, and rash. On the following day when she sought medical attention for the second time, she was reported to the competent health authority as a suspected dengue fever case and as a suspected measles case when her specimens were collected for laboratory testing. Laboratory testing had eliminated infection with both dengue fever and measles in the case. However, the case was tested positive for Chikungunya. As of now, the case's symptoms have improved and the case is being isolated at home. None of her contacts have developed suspected symptoms. According to the epidemiological investigation, the areas surrounding the case's residence and her areas of daily activities were places frequented by foreign workers. The case claimed that she was bitten by mosquitoes when visiting Pitang Village. The source of her infection is still being investigated. To prevent the further spread of the disease, the local health authority has implemented a number of prevention and control efforts since July 23, including conducting epidemiological investigation such as risk assessment and mosquito density survey around the areas where the case frequented, eliminating vector breeding grounds around the same areas through cleaning vector breeding sites and spraying insecticide, as well as reinforcing health education among residents in the areas. Thus far this year, a cumulative total of 17 Chikungunya cases, including 1 indigenous dengue case and 16 imported cases, have been confirmed in Taiwan. Among the imported cases, 6 were from Myanmar, 4 from the Maldives, 2 from Indonesia, and 1 each from Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.Since Chikungunya was listed as a notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan beginning October 2007, the cumulative number of cases confirmed thus far this year has been the highest during the same period in the past years.Taiwan CDC pointed out that both Chikungunya and dengue fever are transmitted by the bites of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitos. The incubation period varies from 2 to 12 days. Infected individuals are viremic from 2 days prior to symptom onset untill 5 days after symptom onset. The symptoms of Chikungunya are similar to those of dengue fever, including sudden onset of fever, joint pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and muscle ache. About half of the cases develop rash. Most patients can recover within 1 week. According to the international surveillance data, Chikungunya is currently circulating in a neighboring country, Thailand, and the virus activity in the country has been on the rise with a cumulative total of 5,200 cases confirmed thus far this year. Further, so far this year, a cumulative total of over 1,300 cases have been confirmed in the Maldives, 289 cases have been confirmed in Malaysia, and 25 cases have been confirmed in Singapore. In the Americas, a cumulative total of 66,000 probable cases have been confirmed in Brazil. In Africa, a cumulative total of over 11,000 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All of the aforementioned countries have reported a higher number of cases compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, a cumulative total of over 14,400 cases have been confirmed in India thus far this year. Taiwan CDC urges, regardless of Chikungunya or dengue fever, the most effective way to prevent infection with these diseases is to remove vector breeding sites. Hence, the public is advised to regularly patrol their living environment and thoroughly empty and clean any potential vector breeding sites such as containers that collect standing water in and around the home in order to prevent vector mosquitoes from breeding. Further, travelers visiting Chikungunya-affected areas are urged to take precautions against mosquito bites such as wearing light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants, applying government agency-approved mosquito repellent to exposed parts of the body, and staying at accommodations installed with window screens and screen doors. If suspected symptoms develop, please seek immediate medical attention and inform the doctor of any recent travel and activity history to facilitate prompt diagnosis, case reporting, and treatment. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC's website at https://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).

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Assigned Hospital for Foreigners' Physical Checkup Service from 2018. Oct.15

Service Time: Monday to Friday, 08:30AM-11:00AM, 13:30PM-16:30PM

Service Line:07-7511131 ext. 5109 or 2345

134 Kaihsuam 2nd Rd. Lin-Yah District Kaohsiung Taiwan,R.O.C. TEL:886-7-751-1131