Taiwan: 2024 Melioidosis

[Shiloh]

Source: https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202410150022

Cases of melioidosis infection reach highest on record: CDC
10/15/2024 07:56 PM

Taipei, Oct. 15 (CNA) The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday that as of Monday 96 people in Taiwan had been diagnosed with melioidosis in 2024, the highest in the same period since the disease was first recorded in 2001.

Of the cases, 69 showed symptoms within one month of Typhoon Gaemi's arrival in Taiwan on July 25, and 17 have died, the CDC said.

At the CDC's weekly press conference Tuesday, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) also reported that the first domestic case of melioidosis following Typhoon Krathon hit Taiwan was diagnosed last week.

The case is a man from Kaohsiung in his 60s with a medical history of chronic hypertension. He was also exposed to dirty water and mud after the disaster, the CDC said.​..
​

 

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/taiwan-r...osis-cases-as-infections-surge-post-typhoons/


Taiwan reports 20 deaths in record high melioidosis cases as infections surge post-typhoons
By Dimsumdaily Hong Kong -
1:54PM Sat November 2, 2024

2nd November 2024 – (Taipei) Taiwan’s disease control authorities have announced a troubling increase in melioidosis fatalities, with 20 deaths recorded this year out of 101 confirmed local cases. This marks the highest death toll for the same period in the island’s history, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Among the confirmed cases, a significant 59 involved individuals aged 65 and older, while 31 were in the 50 to 64 age bracket. The city of Kaohsiung reported the highest incidence, with 77 cases, followed by Tainan, which recorded 10 cases.

The spike in infections is notably linked to the aftermath of recent typhoons. Following Typhoon Gaemi in July, 69 cases were reported within a month, and another six cases emerged after Typhoon Krathon in September. The CDC highlighted that such extreme weather events can exacerbate the spread of the bacterium responsible for melioidosis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, which thrives in soil, stagnant water, and muddy environments.​..
​