Hospitals around Taiwan are being mobilized to combat potential human infection with the H7N9 strain of bird flu, the ROC Department of Health said April 11.
Nationwide, 22 hospitals have been designated H7N9 emergency response centers, and 115 are prepared to serve as quarantine facilities, a department official said at a news conference in Taipei City. Emergency response hospitals will temporarily suspend all other medical services should the situation worsen.
DOH-affiliated hospitals in Hualien, Keelung, Kinmen, Taoyuan and Qishan are responsible for observation and treatment of suspected cases arriving at the country’s borders, while 201 of 493 medical centers around Taiwan have so far passed inspection for dealing with bird flu.
To date, 33 confirmed cases of H7N9 have been reported in mainland China with 15 in Shanghai, 10 in Jiangsu province, six in Zhejiang province and two in Anhui province, according to Cabinet-level Central Epidemic Command Center, the DOH said in a later news release. Nine people have died.
Of 50 suspected cases in Taiwan, 46 have been cleared and four remain under observation, the DOH reported.
People visiting mainland China should pay close attention to personal hygiene, avoid contact with birds and consume only well-cooked poultry and eggs, the department said. Travelers experiencing fever, coughing, aches and pains or other flu-like symptoms should immediately inform airlines and customs personnel. (THN)
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