TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 疾病管制署) reported on Tuesday (Feb. 11) the first domestic case of typhoid fever this year, identifying a teenage boy from northern Taiwan as the patient.
The 10-year-old boy experienced symptoms beginning Jan. 27, including muscle pain, sore throat, and recurring fever. He remains hospitalized.
The CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Kuo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) suggested that the boy likely contracted the infection from contaminated seafood at a northern fishing port, as he had no recent travel history.
Two of his family members also experienced diarrhea but have since recovered, and no suspected symptoms have appeared among other family members or the boy's 27 classmates. Health authorities have initiated preventive measures and collected stool samples from the household for testing.
Without proper treatment, typhoid can lead to intestinal bleeding or perforation, with a fatality rate of up to 10%, but effective treatment reduces mortality to less than 1%.
Since 2021, Taiwan has confirmed 26 typhoid cases, including 10 domestic and 16 imported. As of Tuesday, two cases have been reported this year, one domestic. The CDC urges the public to maintain food and hand hygiene, ensure food is thoroughly cooked, and avoid cross-contamination.
