appledaily.com.tw
appledaily.com.tw
ent.tw.msn 殭屍病毒來自台灣？
appledaily.com.tw 小布折騰全球查活屍病毒 扯台灣陷《末日之戰》
3kirikou.org 農委會放任病毒突變
Taiwan has been on high alert against rabies since a farmer in Taitung County was bitten Monday by a rabies-infected Formosan ferret-badger.
In a move to prevent the spread of the disease, the Council of Agriculture (COA) announced Wednesday that domestic pets will be barred from entering 22 recreational forests in Taiwan.
Pets that have been vaccinated against rabies should also be kept away from such areas to avoid contact with wild animals, the COA said.
Experts have warned that the number of confirmed cases of rabies in Taiwan will continue to rise and could reach a peak within 1-1.5 years.
On July 17, Taiwan informed the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of its three confirmed cases of rabies in wild Formosan ferret-badgers -- two in Nantou County and the other in Yunlin County.
Yang Kuoh-cheng, an associate professor at Providence University's ecology department and chairperson of the Taiwan Academy of Ecology, said a badger usually moves in an area of about 3-11 hectares.
The fact that the disease was found in areas so far apart - from central to eastern to south-central Taiwan -- suggests that the disease may have been lurking in the mountainous areas for years before it was discovered by health authorities, Yang said.
Until now, Taiwan was free of rabies for the past 50 years. Health authorities are still investigating how the virus resurfaced on the island, but initial studies suggest it may have been imported in animals smuggled from mainland China.
The following are excerpts of local media coverage of the reappearance of rabies in Taiwan.
United Daily News:
A 30-year-old man who was bitten by a rabies-infected badger has shown no symptoms of the disease so far, but said he is on the brink of emotional collapse.
The man, surnamed Huang, said he will complete the treatment prescribed by the hospital in order to safeguard himself and others.
Huang has been vaccinated against rabies and was given a shot of immunoglobulin. He is scheduled to receive another four rabies shots over the next few days.
"I hope I will be the first and the last (in Taiwan to be bitten by a rabies-infected animal)," he said.
Huang's background in animal science and veterinary medicine may have spurred his timely report to the health authorities and helped save him so far from showing rabies symptoms. (July 25, 2013)
China Times:
Official data shows that 75 badgers have been found dead on the roads in Taiwan from August last year to June this year.
The exact cause of the animals' death is not yet known, but health authorities suspect it may be linked to the re-emergence of rabies in Taiwan.
Among the 75 cases, eight were in Taipei, five in Taoyuan County, 10 in Taichung, eight in Nantou County and five in Yilan County, according to data from the Endemic Species Research Institute's Conservation Education Center. (July 25, 2013)
Liberty Times:
Health authorities have ordered 2,500 shots of rabies vaccines from abroad for human use and so far, have received 1,040 doses.
Starting Friday, the vaccines will be distributed to 25 hospitals nationwide. (July 25, 2013)
(By Ann Chen)
ENDITEM/pc
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n.yam.com
台灣狂犬病警戒
這致命的疾病50年來第一次於台灣再度浮現。
狂犬病是種病毒疾病，傳染途徑為被受感染的動物咬傷，最近經農委會證實三隻野生台灣鼬獾罹患狂犬病。該疾病據信是經由走私到國內的動物遭野放後散播。
因爆發狂犬病之後，動植物防疫檢疫局敦促民眾替寵物注射疫苗。建議被野生動物咬或抓傷的人們即刻尋求醫療協助。根據檢疫局局長張淑賢所言，檢疫局準備了十萬劑抗狂犬病的疫苗給動物，下個月將再進口八萬劑。獸醫藥物供應商也有23萬劑的庫存，並將進口更多。
在此同時，邊境控制將會更加嚴格，以避免動物走私進台灣，並且也將實施國內山區動物緊急接種的措施。
(Health) Taiwan on Alert for Rabies
The fatal disease has resurfaced in Taiwan for the first time in fifty years.
Rabies,
a viral disease transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, has
recently been confirmed by the Council of Agriculture in three wild
Formosan ferret-badgers. The disease is believed to have been spread by
animals smuggled into the country and then released into the wild.
In
the wake of the rabies outbreak, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health
Inspection and Quarantine is urging the public to vaccinate their pets.
People who have been bitten or scratched by wild animals are advised to
seek immediate medical attention. According to the bureaus director,
Chang Su-san, the bureau has prepared 100,000 doses of anti-rabies
vaccines for animals and will import 80,000 next month. Veterinary
medicine suppliers also have 230,000 doses in stock and will import
more.
Meanwhile, border
controls will be tightened to prevent the smuggling of animals into
Taiwan and emergency inoculation measures of domestic animals in
mountainous areas will be implemented as well.
