Taiwan registers 3rd domestic hantavirus infection of the year

Taiwan registers 3rd domestic hantavirus infection of the year

2026-05-19

Taiwan has recorded its third domestic hantavirus infection of the year. The patient is a man in his forties who got bitten by a rat in early April. He sought medical attention after developing a fever and feeling lethargic, after which he tested positive for the disease. Genetic sequencing of the virus has found that it is of the same strain as the two previous cases in Northern Taiwan. The strain, called Seoul virus causes mild symptoms and has a mortality rate of just 1%. It is not known to be transmissible between humans. Let’s hear from the CDC.

Lin Yung-ching
CDC
A lab test conducted by the CDC has confirmed that the patient contracted hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. And later, gene sequencing revealed he was infected with the Seoul virus. It’s a different strain from the Andes virus and it doesn’t spread between people.

Tseng Shu-hui
CDC Spokesperson
The Keelung Health Bureau led an epidemiological investigation and monitored his contacts. None have presented symptoms so far.

Young Tzuu-guang
Taiwan Adventist Hospital
Most patients have mild symptoms similar to a cold, such as fever and muscle aching. The likelihood that patients will see a doctor due to a Seoul virus infection is less than 5 in 100.

The patient resides in New Taipei’s Linkou District, and disinfection is underway there, and in Keelung. According to the CDC, Taiwan has tallied a total of 46 hantavirus infections since 2017. This year’s figures are not much different from previous years, and there has been no uptick in infections. Health authorities urge the public to stay calm.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#hantavirus #hanta #rats #disease #cdc

基隆漢他個案證實"首爾病毒" 疾管署:不會人傳人

2026-05-19

基隆爆出國內今年第三例本土漢他病毒個案，個案是一名40多歲男性， 4月初在工作時遭老鼠咬傷，一個月後出現發燒、無力等症狀就醫，並採檢確診，疾管署公布基因定序結果，證實基隆個案與先前的雙北兩例，同為"首爾病毒"，相關症狀輕微，致死率僅1%，強調並不會人傳人傳染。

[[疾管署防疫醫師林詠青]]
“經過本署的實驗室檢驗確定了，他(基隆個案)是感染了漢他病毒出血熱併腎症候群，後來他的這個病毒經過我們基因定序，確定了感染的是首爾型的漢他病毒，跟安地斯病毒不一樣，首爾病毒不會人傳人”

[[疾管署發言人曾淑慧]]
“(基隆)衛生局呢，他們有去做相關的一些疫調，他們針對他們周遭的接觸者，也有去做相關的一些監測，到目前為止都沒有症狀”

[[台安醫院感染科主任楊祖光]]
“大部分都是比較輕的(症狀) ，都是像類似感冒，就是有發燒，肌肉痠痛，首爾病毒造成的疾病呢，你真的要去看醫生的機會，可能一百個不到五個”

個案居住地位在新北市林口區，現在基隆、新北同步持續清消，疾管署統計，2017年至今，漢他病毒共累積46例，與近年同期比較，今年疫情並沒有異常升溫，呼籲民眾不用過度恐慌。

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Global surge in invasive meningitis, which can cause cognitive decline

If you have a newborn at home or plan to travel abroad, you need to be extra careful. Recently there have been more and more cases of invasive meningitis in countries Taiwanese love to visit, such as Japan and the UK. The disease does not just affect young children: even young adults are getting infected. It progresses very quickly and is difficult to detect as early symptoms resemble a cold. Long term complications include cognitive decline. Let’s find out more.

For all you parents out there, take note! Alarm bells are ringing again about invasive meningitis. Cases have been reported in nations frequently visited by Taiwanese citizens, including Japan, Vietnam, Canada and the UK. Moreover, it’s not just newborns; even younger adults with relatively strong immune systems are at risk.

Huang Li-min
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The course of Japanese encephalitis is measured in days; you might start to deteriorate on the first, second, or third day. In contrast, the course of invasive meningitis is measured in hours; you usually start to deteriorate within a few hours, and by 24 hours, you are already in a very poor condition. This disease occurs all over the world, and in the past year, it seems to have been on the rise.

Invasive meningitis progresses much more rapidly than Japanese encephalitis. It is difficult to diagnose in its early stages because its symptoms resemble those of a common cold. Once the disease fully develops, the bacteria can affect the brain, causing convulsions, seizures, and even neurological impairment, resulting in long-term complications and cognitive decline. It may also block blood vessels, leading to amputations or loss of fingers

Huang Li-min
NTU Hospital
It’s a respiratory droplet-transmitted disease. The first thing to do is wash your hands thoroughly, the second is to wear a mask, and the third is to get vaccinated.

Wash your hands frequently, wear a mask, and get vaccinated – these are the key things you need to do to protect yourself and your children.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#invasivemeningitis #travelhazards #babyhealth

2026-05-19

Online shopper puzzled by wet wipes taking up 42 pickup lockers

Package-less shipping is all the rage right now, with vendors sending goods to 24-hour pickup locations without packing it into a cardboard box. One resident of Kaohsiung’s Fengshan District recently ordered one of these unpackaged items. But when she went to pick it up, 42 lockers opened at once to reveal 42 separate packages of wet wipes.

To retrieve a package at one of these 24-hour automated pickup locations, you just have to enter your information and the corresponding locker will pop open. But for one Ms. Tseng in Kaohsiung, not only one, but 42 lockers popped open at once revealing 42 separate travel packs of wet wipes.

Ms. Tseng
Online shopper
When the lockers all started popping open, I wondered if they were broken. How could there be so many at once? After clearing this side, I had to check the other side as well. It took a while.

This is what happened: Dozens of lockers opened at once, forcing Ms. Tseng into the tedious task of retrieving each item herself and closing each locker. This was at a self pickup store in Fengshan District. Luckily there was no one else there at the time, or it might have been chaotic.

- It’s ridiculous! They shouldn’t have put them in 42 lockers. A single order should be kept in one locker.

- It’s a bit silly. There’s no need to split them all up like that.

- We ordered 15 packages of mini cream puffs without packaging. Let’s see what happens.

After ordering 15 bags of cream puffs as a test, we found they were packed into two lockers with seven to eight bags each. Someone else who ordered a bunch of toilet paper also retrieved them all from one locker. While Ms. Tseng wasn’t the first to have her order split up into different lockers, she’s concerned it may be a nuisance for other shoppers.

Ms. Tseng
Online shopper
I often run into a situation where I try to select this store, but it’s unavailable, probably because all the lockers are full. If I was taking up 42 spaces like this, there were probably lots of people who couldn’t ship to this store.

While unpackaged shipping is great for cutting down on waste, it also raises the potential issue of loose items hogging lockers. If someone makes a big order, they may end up inadvertently taking up the entire store!

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#onlineshopping #shipping #shippingwaste #packagepickup #Kaohsiung #convenience #ecofriendly

2026-05-19

Argument between mother and son over phone use turns violent

On Monday afternoon, the argument between a mother and son on the car after school took a scary turn. Concerned about her son’s academic performance, the mother threatened to confiscate the 14-year-old’s phone if he continued to do badly in school. The screaming match quickly escalated when the son reached over for the car keys and switched off the engine in the middle of the road. The mother then went out to call the police, and that’s when the son tried to drive off without her. The police eventually arrived, got the teen out of the car and issued a fine for driving without a license.

The woman screams as she runs and tries to stop the car. The driver eventually relents when the police arrive and orders him to step out.

- Get out!
- Pull up the hand brake!

The driver wouldn’t take orders from the police, so officers break the car window to force open the door and drag him out. To everyone’s shock, he’s only 14. As for the sobbing woman, she’s the mother. Earlier, the two were in a heated argument, which got the son drive off without his mother.

- Why would you do this?
- Why?

The incident happened on Monday in Hualien’s Ji’an Township. The mother and son were arguing over his poor academic performance, with the mother threatening to confiscate his phone if he continued not to do well in school. To protest, the son reached over for the car key and switched off the engine. The mother then got out to call the police. That was when the son crawled over to the driver’s seat. He couldn’t drive, so the car stumbled on the street, frightening other road users.

Tu Kuo-tsai
Ji’an Precinct, Hualien County Police
To prevent greater risk and to protect the boy’s safety and the safety of road users in the vicinity, after a verbal warning failed our officers obtained permission from the car owner to break the window with a baton and pulled the young boy out of the car to restrain him.

The mother eventually calmed down after her son was under control. The police issued a fine for driving without a license, in accordance with the Road Traffic Management and Safety Act. The woman probably never expected an argument to take such a scary turn.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#familyproblems #domesticviolence #DV #phoneaddiction #teenagers

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Jadeite Cabbage-shaped umbrella a social-media hit in Japan

Taipei’s National Palace Museum has a famous collection of over 690,000 priceless cultural artifacts from China. However, right now, it’s a museum souvenir that’s taken the internet by storm. A Japanese tourist purchased a Jadeite Cabbage-shaped umbrella with lace trim, then posted a picture on social media and it’s gone viral in Japan. Now, even though each umbrella costs over NT$1,000, they are best sellers. Let’s find out more.

With layers of emerald green leaves adorned with lace trim, this is an elegant Jadeite Cabbage-shaped umbrella that visitors adore. A Japanese visitor to the National Palace Museum, finding the Jadeite Cabbage not on display, felt it was a pity and bought the cabbage-shaped umbrella as a souvenir instead. Unexpectedly, his social media post about it went viral in Japan. Now, even though each umbrella costs over NT$1,000, they are now selling like hotcakes.

-So cute.

- Just like the Jadeite Cabbage.
- Yes, it’s very beautiful.

The Jadeite Cabbage-shaped umbrella generated NT$80,000 in sales last year, and if you want to wear a yellow robe, that’s fine too—emperor and empress raincoats are both available. To revitalize tourism in Hualien, the National Palace Museum has partnered with local businesses to launch Sachima, golden flaky pastries, and even emperor-endorsed sauces and healthful soups. From January to April this year, revenue from cultural and creative products exceeded NT$100 million, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year. Not only are cultural and creative products doing well, but the museum’s space is also being renovated.

Huang Yung-tai
National Palace Museum Deputy Director
The main red gate and the front plaza have been largely disused since 2007. Our primary goal is to restore the red gate as the main entrance, leading into a soaring central atrium. This is exactly the vision we want for the National Palace Museum.

The National Palace Museum is set to launch 18 upcoming special exhibitions. Highlights include “Qianlong & His Imposters,” which is an exploration of authenticity in Emperor Qianlong’s calligraphy; and another exhibition titled “Tibetan Dragon Canon.” For those curious about ancient typos, the Southern Branch will host a unique exhibition on the history of miswritten characters in calligraphy.

Yu Pei-chin
National Palace Museum Deputy Director
This official was writing to thank Emperor Yongzheng for a gift of feathers, but he accidentally wrote the character for “feather” incorrectly. The Emperor spotted the typo and wrote “wrong character” right next to it in red ink. It’s incredibly awkward that this document has survived all the way to the present day—it is really embarrassing.

An exhibition featuring the Jadeite Cabbage at the museum’s southern branch will end on June 7. It will return to Taipei on June 18. Then, the Meat-Shaped stone will take over and be on display at the museum’s southern branch from June 9 to Sept. 6.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#Taiwansouvenirs #Taiwanmuseums #fancyumbrellas #umbrellas #souvenirs

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WHO staff reportedly ordered activists to take off ‘Team Taiwan’ shirt

Every year that Taiwan has been barred from the World Health Assembly due to pressure from China, activists have held protests with permission from Swiss authorities. But this year, the World Health Organization doubled down against the activists by ordering them to change out of their “Team Taiwan” t-shirts. A French resident from Taiwan tearfully recounted the encounter with WHO staff member, who she said was “really mean” and yelled at them for wearing the “Team Taiwan” shirt. It should be noted that the activists stayed in areas under local Swiss jurisdiction.

Flags in hand and chanting slogans, activists are marching the streets of Geneva, Switzerland calling for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly. For the 10th year, Taiwan has not been invited due to pressure from China. Now, it’s been revealed that World Health Organization staff tried to police the protests.

Dan Chuang
Content Creator, Troyes Bulletin
When we were gathering at the square with the “Broken Chair” statue, because we all wore “Team Taiwan” shirts, someone from the WHO wanted us to take off our shirts. Are we not an independent country?

Dan Chuang, a French resident from Taiwan, tearfully recounted the encounter with WHO staff. She said that the WHO staff wanted them to change out of their “Team Taiwan—Genève” t-shirts.

Dan Chuang
Content Creator, Troyes Bulletin
This kind of thing really catches you off guard if you’ve never experienced it. The WHO person was actually really mean. He was yelling at us. I didn’t, wouldn’t want to take off my t-shirt. I actually froze. I only became unstuck when my daughter came to me and asked me what happened, and why I was holding a stack of t-shirts. I told her that we had to change into those t-shirts. She asked me why. It was then when I started to realize that I had gotten humiliated.

The incident took place at the Place des Nations, which is administered by local authorities of Geneva. This is evident, seeing that a placard for Taiwan’s government-organized healthtech expo was placed there. The WHO staff may have overreached into Swiss jurisdiction in attempting to police what the activists wore.

Lee Kuen-cheng
Legislator (DPP)
You could get oppressed by China even in such a democratic place as Geneva. This goes to show that China’s oppression could take place anytime, anywhere.

Chen Pei-yu
Legislator (DPP)
It is truly regrettable, whether they wanted activists to remove any piece of clothing with symbols of Taiwan, or whether they tried to police any mention of Taiwan, to take away the rights of these groups to engage in dialogue with the world. Of course we do know that the CCP is more than likely behind this regrettable incident.

The incident suggests that China’s long-arm jurisdiction has now overreached into the sidelines of the WHA, which is taking place this week until May 23.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#WHA #WHO #publichealth #geneva #china

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Ramp trap makes scooter rider nearly flip over at shop entrance

A hair-raising near-crash in Changhua is going viral after a scooter rider suddenly launched into a wheelie while passing a roadside ramp at the entrance to a shop. The rider narrowly avoided wiping out, and locals say the area has become a dangerous shortcut for people trying to skip red lights. With a 10cm height gap caused by a slope and drain cover, the government is now investigating whether the ramp was illegally built and ordering fixes if needed.

The rider was traveling slowly in the outer lane and drifting slightly to the right when the scooter suddenly jolted upward. The back wheel lifted off the ground into a wheelie, nearly throwing the rider off balance. When our reporter visited the scene, they found another rider had almost hit the same hazard.

Scooter driver
Changhua
- Isn’t it scary?
- Very scary.
- How so?
- I felt like my heart skipped a beat. It was really unpleasant.

The incident happened at the entrance to a shop on Jinma Road in Changhua. Some riders move onto the sidewalk to access the store, while others cut through the area to avoid waiting at the traffic light.

Resident
Changhua
- They just want a shortcut, so when the light is red, they try to cut through here.
- They ride up through there?
- Yeah.
- But there’s a drain trap there.
- Exactly, and people don’t notice it.

Although you can find drain covers everywhere, this one is especially dangerous due to a ramp nearby, which creates an uneven surface with a height difference of nearly 10cm.

Lin Chih-pao
Changhua City Office
Based on the video, the obstacle that caused the scooter to bounce appears to be a privately installed ramp on the sidewalk. We actually removed part of the ramp back in 2020.

Changhua City officials say the ramp may have contributed to the dangerous bounce and will send inspectors to investigate. If the structure is found to be illegal, authorities will order improvements within a set deadline.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#scooter #changhua #rider #flip #wheelie

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Thief busted with 300+ pairs of stolen women’s shoes

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Restaurant uses celebrity names in place of order numbers

One luwei stall at a night market in Yunlin’s Douliu City has a unique way of calling orders. Instead of giving out numbers, they hand out cards with celebrities’ names. When the order is ready, the boss will shout out things like, “Jay Chou, come get your order,” or “Where is Jolin Tsai?” The funny idea has made the stall an instant favorite.

-Jay Chou, it’s ready!

Apparently even the pop king Jay Chou himself visits this luwei stall.And it’s not only him. This diva is also a regular.

-Hebe Tien, come on!

The Golden Melody Award winner was lured by the promise of luwei. Who else?

-Cyndi Wang!

Taiwan’s sweetheart herself Cyndi Wang is also getting dinner after her concert at Taipei Arena?

-Cyndi Wang here. Cutlery is there, help yourself.

So many celebrities! But it seems like everyone here are other normies. What’s going on?

-Who do you want to be?
-Lee Da-hye.

These boxes are full of A-list celebrities’ names. Pop queens Jolin Tsai and A-Mei are among them, as well as Eason Chan. Everyone you could possibly think of is here.

-Who are you?
-I’m Zhang Bichen.
-Zhang Bichen. Will hearing it be awkward?
-Yeah. I wanted to be G.E.M.

-It’s so fun! Really creative.

Chen Liang-chih
Stall owner
Of course I’ll update it. If there’s bad news, we’ll remove the name, and we’ll add new celebs. I wanted to use a different kind of waiting system. Celebrity names also work. Everyone has good associations with them. It makes customers happy to take one.

This luwei stall is at a night market in Yunlin’s Douliu City. Afraid they’ll get bored while waiting, to spice things up a little, the owner asks his customers to pick a celebrity after putting in their order.

-Which did you grab?
-Eddie Peng
-Will it be awkward when his name is called out?
-Nah.

This creative way of calling orders has become the stall’s biggest draw. If one day a celebrity actually shows up, they’d better call the right name, or it’s sure to be awkward!

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#nightmarket #celebrities #JayChou #JolinTsai #luwei #ordering #Yunlin #Douliu

2026-05-19