Taipei City Held Inter-Agency Rodent Control Meeting in February to Prevent Hantavirus

Cases of Hantavirus have successively appeared in Taipei and New Taipei, drawing attention. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-Liang said today in an interview that there is no escalation of the epidemic, urging local chiefs to form special task forces to deal with rodent problems. The Taipei City Department of Health stated that an inter-agency rodent control contact meeting at the city government level was already convened in February.

Hantavirus cases have successively appeared in Taipei and New Taipei, raising external concerns about whether the epidemic is escalating and if there is a need to establish a forward command center. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-Liang said today that there is no escalation of the epidemic, urging to imitate the approach of containing dengue fever in the south, where local chiefs form special task forces to deal with rodent problems.

The Department of Health explained that Taipei City had already convened an inter-agency rodent control contact meeting at the city government level in February. Various agencies continue to mobilize for rodent control, and Deputy Mayor Li Tai-Hsing presides over regular inter-agency rodent plague prevention mechanism meetings. The Department of Health continues disease surveillance and promotion of 'Three Nos for Rodent Prevention' (防鼠三不). As of May 3rd, there have been no new cases in Taipei City.

The Department of Health also said that Shih Chung-Liang's statements over two consecutive days emphasized that 'the epidemic shows no escalating trend, and all sectors can rest assured'; it is also for this reason that when the Ministry of Health and Welfare was questioned today, they stated that the central government's assessment is not to establish a Hantavirus epidemic command center.