Update: 5:50 p.m., Aug. 10
A total of 642 people who work or have visited the recreational venue between July 21 and Aug. 9 will be alerted and asked to self-monitor their health, the health agency of New Taipei announced Thursday (Aug. 10).
Tests suggested the chlorine levels at the facility’s pools (0.86 mg/L for the large pool and 0.06 mg/L for the small one) did not meet the recommended level of 1-3 mg/L. A fine of up to NT$1.5 million will be incurred if traces of amoeba are found.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A woman in Taiwan died from a rare brain-eating amoeba infection earlier this month in the first such case reported in 12 years, health authorities announced on Wednesday (Aug. 9).
On July 26, a woman in her 30s reportedly started experiencing symptoms of a headache and stiff neck. Her illness progressed rapidly, prompting her to seek medical help after exhibiting other symptoms such as fever, chills, and seizures, but she passed away on Aug. 1, according to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.
A diagnosis of Naegleria fowleri, commonly called the “brain-eating ameba," was later confirmed as the cause of the fatal infection. The last time Taiwan recorded a brain-eating amoeba infection was in 2011, when a person tested positive for the disease after visiting a hot spring.
A New Taipei indoor aquatic facility where the woman had visited will be closed and disinfected on Thursday and Friday as a precautionary measure. An investigation is underway to identify the source of infection, said the health authorities.
The owner of the business told UDN that the venue is chlorinated on a daily basis at a level of 1.5 ppm. No other visitors or coaches who regularly access the facility have reported sickness, the owner added.
The amoeba can be found in freshwater such as lakes and rivers, geothermal water, poorly-maintained swimming pools, tap water, and soil. The disease has an extremely high fatality rate of over 97%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cases are rare, with India, Thailand, the U.S., and Pakistan having recorded ones over the past five years, mostly in July and August, said the Taiwan CDC. It urged people to prevent water from entering their noses and keep their heads above water when engaging in aquatic activities.
New Taipei inspector takes a sample from a swimming pool at a venue where a brain-eating amoeba infection is reported. (New Taipei photo)
