A migrant worker in Taiwan has been diagnosed with hantavirus, the first case in the country this year.
The afflicted individual, a male in his 20s, is a fisherman living in northern Taiwan. He has not traveled abroad recently, and his life is mostly spent at sea, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The male started exhibiting symptoms of the disease on Aug. 3, including vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. He later developed liver and renal conditions before receiving a confirmed diagnosis of hantavirus infections.
Hantavirus is contracted through contact with rodent urine and feces or rodent bites. Signs and symptoms include fever, muscle pain, headache, abdomen pain, and flushing. Some patients may fall ill with symptoms like renal failure, hemorrhaging, and shock.
CDC noted the individual has been discharged from hospital, and the health authorities have conducted sterilization and rodent control around locations he visited.
Taiwan sees around zero to two cases of hantavirus infections a year, mostly among the indigenous population. Males account for 83 percent of the total confirmed cases. Residents are advised to sterilize areas contaminated by rodent excrement with diluted bleach.
Call CDC hotline 1922 or 0800-001922 for more information.
By Taiwan News
