The Miaoli County Public Health Bureau has reported more than 140 cases of Salmonella linked to roast duck, according to a Taipei Times report Wednesday. The 143 food poisoning cases have been associated with a shop selling duck Miaoli County’s Toufen Township.
Health officials have fined and temporarily closed the shop after lab results received on Monday confirmed the shop’s duck meat was contaminated by salmonella bacteria and a sample collected from the shop’s cutting board had Bacillus cereus bacterium.
“The shop owner did not carry out thorough disinfection procedures after handling raw duck carcasses, and the roasted ducks may have been exposed to the cleaver, cutting board or other tools, causing cross-contamination,” bureau Deputy Director Yang Wen-chih said.
Earlier this week, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced this summer’s second indigenous dengue case confirmed in Tainan City.
The case is a 19-year-old male who resides in Rende District, Tainan City. Beginning September 10, he developed symptoms such as fever and discomfort. On September 12 and 14, he respectively sought medical attention at a clinic. On September 16, when his symptoms persisted and rash developed, he sought further medical attention at the emergency department at a hospital. Infection with dengue virus was then laboratory confirmed (DEN-1).
According to the epidemiological investigation, the case had not recently traveled, either domestically or internationally.
Lastly, the CDC reported this year’s first death from severe enterovirus infection in a two-year-old girl who resided in northern Taiwan. According to the CDC:
The case had incomplete brain development and a medical history of right-sided hemiparesis and development delay. Since the end of August, the case subsequently developed symptoms, including upper respiratory tract infection and middle ear infection in both ears. In the night of September 6, she developed high fever and blisters on the soft palate. After seeking medical attention, she was diagnosed with herpangina. On September 9, when she developed spasm, unconsciousness, and foaming at the mouth, she was hospitalized for treatment in the intensive care unit. Infection with EV 71 was laboratory confirmed in the case after the hospital reported the case to the health authority. However, the case’s conditions did not improve and she remained in shock, experiencing low body temperature, low blood pressure and multiple organ dysfunction. Unfortunately, on September 12, she died of heart and lung failure and sepsis.
According to the surveillance data compiled by Taiwan CDC, enterovirus activity in Taiwan has recently increased and coxsackie A virus is currently the dominant strains circulating in the community.
As of September 20, a total of 21 severe cases of enterovirus infection have been confirmed, including 20 caused by EV 71 and 1 caused by CA 5.
Health officials remind the public that enterovirus remains highly contagious, especially in crowded places such as households and child care facilities. Therefore, childcare center personnel and parents are advised to pay attention to their health and the health of infants and children they care for.
When a child in a household is diagnosed with enterovirus infection, parents and child caregivers are urged to refrain the sick child from close contact with other children to prevent further spread of the disease and watch for the development of prodromal symptoms of severe enterovirus infection in the sick child such as drowsiness, disturbed consciousness, inactivity, flaccid paralysis, myoclonic jerk, continuous vomiting, tachypnea, and tachycardia to ensure timely treatment.
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