Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Taiwan reports first case of amoebiasis
2011/04/26 20:42:49
Taipei, April 26 (CNA) Taiwan reported its first case of amoebiasis Tuesday, saying that the patient had become infected with the parasite by inadvertently ingesting dirty water in a rice paddy and had developed encephalitis.
The 63-year-old man fell twice while planting rice in central Taiwan on Dec. 25, 2008 and was choking in the water, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said.
Ten days later, the rice farmer developed a fever, headache and swollen stomach, and he sought treatment at Changhua Christian Hospital, said Ji Dar-der, an associate research fellow at the CDC.
After eight days in hospital, the patient developed acute pains and chronic fever and became delirious, Ji said.
Doctors suspected a parasitic infection but the patient tested negative for angiostrongylus cantonensis, a common parasite in Taiwan, Ji said.
Amoebiasis -- a parasitic, water borne disease that kills about 70,000 people worldwide every year -- was suspected after a cerebroespinal fluid test, Ji said.
The patient was later transferred to National Taiwan University Hospital and began a slow recovery over 78 days, according to the CDC. The patient's speech is still impaired, the CDC said.
Meanwhile health officials went to the rice paddy to try to culture the amoebiasis.
Ji said mortality rate of encephalitis caused by amoebiasis is as high as 80 percent to 90 percent. It is uncommon to find the disease in Taiwan and for the patient to survive, he said.
Ji and other researchers reported their findings in the case, which were published recently in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. (By Chen Li-ting and Lilian Wu) enditem/ pc
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aLIV&ID=201104260029
2011/04/26 20:42:49
Taipei, April 26 (CNA) Taiwan reported its first case of amoebiasis Tuesday, saying that the patient had become infected with the parasite by inadvertently ingesting dirty water in a rice paddy and had developed encephalitis.
The 63-year-old man fell twice while planting rice in central Taiwan on Dec. 25, 2008 and was choking in the water, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said.
Ten days later, the rice farmer developed a fever, headache and swollen stomach, and he sought treatment at Changhua Christian Hospital, said Ji Dar-der, an associate research fellow at the CDC.
After eight days in hospital, the patient developed acute pains and chronic fever and became delirious, Ji said.
Doctors suspected a parasitic infection but the patient tested negative for angiostrongylus cantonensis, a common parasite in Taiwan, Ji said.
Amoebiasis -- a parasitic, water borne disease that kills about 70,000 people worldwide every year -- was suspected after a cerebroespinal fluid test, Ji said.
The patient was later transferred to National Taiwan University Hospital and began a slow recovery over 78 days, according to the CDC. The patient's speech is still impaired, the CDC said.
Meanwhile health officials went to the rice paddy to try to culture the amoebiasis.
Ji said mortality rate of encephalitis caused by amoebiasis is as high as 80 percent to 90 percent. It is uncommon to find the disease in Taiwan and for the patient to survive, he said.
Ji and other researchers reported their findings in the case, which were published recently in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. (By Chen Li-ting and Lilian Wu) enditem/ pc
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aLIV&ID=201104260029