Contagious Measles Patient May Have Infected Others on MRT|新增2麻疹病例 患者曾搭板南.文湖線

There are two new confirmed cases of measles in Taiwan. The patients began exhibiting symptoms at the end of August and the beginning of September, they both went to the same hospital to get treatment. However, this hospital failed to report the cases to the authorities immediately and one of the patients took a ride on Taipei MRT's Bannan and Wenhu lines, coming into close contact with over 350 people .


Two new cases of measles have been confirmed. The two patients, who were treated at the same hospital, are both men in their 30s in northern Taiwan. One fell ill on Aug. 23 and the other on Sept. 1. Doctors believe one case is indigenous and the other was contracted in Thailand. As the hospital failed to report the cases immediately, the patient infected in Thailand came into contact with 352 on the MRT's Bannan and Wenhu lines while he was contagious.

In general, someone with no measles immunity can infect 12 to 18 people.

Measles is a Schedule 2 infectious disease in Taiwan, which means hospitals are supposed to notify health authorities of cases within 24 hours and quarantine patients for treatment. The hospital that treated the two patients did not report the cases for eight to 15 days. Local health bureaus are investigating and the hospital could be fined of NT$ 90,000 to NT$ 450,000. In related news, two new indigenous cases of dengue fever have been reported in New Taipei City's Tucheng and Zhonghe, respectively. The latter was Zhonghe's first case of dengue fever this year.

The Zhonghe (patient) lives in Zhonghe but was infected in Tucheng. An effort is being made to prevent an outbreak.

The Centers for Disease Control reminds everyone to clear all potential mosquito breeding places like water containers. One hundred and nineteen cases of dengue fever have been reported in Taiwan so far this year, including 65 in Taichung City, 35 in New Taipei City, seven in Kaohsiung City, six in Changhua County, two each in Taipei City and Chiayi County, and one each in Taoyuan City and Tainan City.