April 24, 2013
No. 30
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) confirmed this evening (April 24th) that a Taiwanese citizen (businessman) returning to Taiwan from Suzhou of Jiangsu Province was infected with H7N9 avian influenza. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) again reminded Taiwanese people visiting Jiangsu, Anhui, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Beijing or Shandong areas of mainland China, and also Mainlanders arriving from these areas, to strengthen self-care.
The MAC stated that, according to information from the CECC, as of April 24th, there have been 108 confirmed cases of human H7N9 infection, including 22 deaths, in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Beijing and Shandong since the Mainland health authorities reported the first case of human infection on March 31st. Available epidemiological study results indicate that birds may be the likely source of infection, however, there is no evidence of human to human transmission as of yet.
The MAC reminded Taiwanese people visiting the said areas to pay special attention to self-care, maintain hygiene habits such as frequently washing hands and wearing face mask, avoid contact with or feeding birds, avoid traditional markets with live poultry, and also, to thoroughly cook poultry meat and eggs before eating. People who have shown fever or cough symptoms after returning to Tawian should immediately wear a face mask, seek medical care, and inform physicians of their travel history.
Regarding Taiwan's first confirmed case of H7N9 influenza today (April 24th), the MAC asked the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to again remind Taiwanese businesspeople in the Mainland to be on alert. It also requested the SEF to contact the Taiwanese Business Association (TBA) in Suzhou to grasp the overall situation of Taiwanese businesspeople residing there, and asked the Suzhou TBA to inform the Taiwanese businesspeople to promptly seek medical care if they find themselves with fever or cough symptoms, and also, to avoid unnecessary travels as well.