Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
29 April 2013 09:48
Taiwan increased monitoring of travellers from China after its first case of a new strain of bird flu was confirmed
Taiwan has increased its monitoring of travellers from China after the island's first case of a deadly new strain of bird flu was confirmed in a 53-year-old man.
The victim fell ill with fever on his return from the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, twice testing negative for H7N9 but then testing positive after his condition worsened, said the Centres for Disease Control (CDC).
Authorities will increase screening of visitors from China at airports to look for fever and other conditions, said CDC official Chang Feng-yi, and Taiwanese airlines are reported to be suspending provision of chicken and duck meals from China.
An alarming event such as this comes as a sharp reminder to travellers to take proper precautions by having medical travel insurance in place before travelling. There are close trade and economic ties between Taiwan and China, and H7N9 has struck more than 100 people in the latter, most of them close to the east coast around Shanghai. Around a million Taiwanese are estimated to live on the mainland with numerous Taiwanese laptop and other electronics manufacturers operating in Jiangsu. Taiwan plays host to roughly 6,000 tourists daily.
H7N9 seems to spread easier from birds to humans than the virus which killed humans in Asia a decade ago, said the World Health Organisation, and scientists are keeping a close watch to see if it could lead to a world pandemic, though there is not much evidence to show it can spread easily among people.
23 September 2017
Thomas Cook has launched a new service that will enable holidaymakers to select which hotel room they want, before even boarding a flight.
[more...]
22 September 2017
A new computer code that can be applied to GP surgery data could be the answer to identifying those most at risk of developing bowel cancer.
21 September 2017
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning over a growing resistance to antibiotics.
20 September 2017
Thousands of Ryanair flights have been cancelled over the next six weeks, as the airline says it "messed up" allocation of its pilots' annual leave.
19 September 2017
Manchester's Girlguides are being urged to help the elderly with a new badge incentivising youngsters to tackle senior loneliness.
16 September 2017
Holidaymakers are being evacuated as winds up to 200km per hour hit Central Vietnam, with Typhoon Doksuri damaging houses, roads and infrastructure.
15 September 2017
People in parts of East Anglia are eight times more likely to survive liver disease than Blackpool residents, according to new data by Public Health England (PHE).
14 September 2017
A non-invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery that helps people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight is being recommended for widespread use by NHS experts.
13 September 2017
Almost half of UK adults travelling to areas at risk of malaria are not covering themselves by taking medication, despite recommendations made by the NHS and world health organisations.
12 September 2017
A new health warning has been issued by scientists in Sweden, suggesting e-cigarettes with nicotine could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
09 September 2017
Researchers have developed a futuristic pen-like device that can tell whether someone has cancer much faster than current technology.
08 September 2017
A staffing crisis in the NHS is seeing cancer patients turned away from their GP surgery and instead visiting A&E, a report has claimed.