The Nanfang Home

The Nanfang / Blog

health risk

Photos Show Thick, Orange, Oppressive Air Smothering Beijing Today

Posted: 10/9/2014 2:49 pm

beijing smog orange alert haze air pollution

Smog isn’t new to the Chinese capital, but that doesn’t mean people have gotten used to it. The city has once again been blanked with thick, smokey air that one can almost taste, leading the local government to issue an orange smog alert this morning. The PM 2.5 rating stood at 356 at the time, but has since increased to more than 400, which is hazardous according to the US Embassy.

beijing smog orange alert haze air pollutionThere’s some bad news for people in the capital, too: this smog isn’t going away soon. It is likely to continue until Saturday, when a cold front is expected to blow the pollution away. Until then, the bad air is also affecting Tianjin, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, and Hebei.

As seen the pictures below, the air in Beijing right now is terrible. You can’t see the sun. You can’t see the horizon. You can barely see the building down the street.

beijing smog orange alert haze air pollutionAs bad as it is, Beijing’s frequent polluted air means people have gotten used to it. The photos don’t show that a number of Beijing residents are continuing with their daily tasks – outside – without masks.

beijing smog orange alert haze air pollutionNot long ago, the US Embassy in Beijing was able to raise awareness of Beijing’s air quality by broadcasting PM 2.5 measurements on a daily basis. The thinking was if Beijingers were aware of the danger in the air, perhaps it would result in change. That proved to be wishful thinking, though, as Beijingers have all the information they need about air quality but many choose to ignore the warnings.

Here are more photos of Beijing’s air quality:

beijing smog orange alert haze air pollutionbeijing smog orange alert haze air pollutionbeijing smog orange alert haze air pollutionbeijing smog orange alert haze air pollutionbeijing smog orange alert haze air pollutionbeijing smog orange alert haze air pollutionbeijing smog orange alert haze air pollution

Related:

Photos: People’s Daily Online, Caijing, Weibo (2, 3), CCTV

Haohao
Tagged:

Guangdongers Join “Patriotic Hygiene Campaign” to Fight Dengue Fever

Posted: 10/9/2014 9:50 am
fumigation dengue fever guangdong

Anti-mosquito campaign in Foshan.

Dengue fever has become a full-blown epidemic in Guangdong, with the province’s Bureau for Health and Family Planning reporting the number of cases has risen to 23,146. With more people dying from the disease, the government is asking the public to lend a patriotic hand in addressing the epidemic.

fumigation dengue fever guangdong

With six deaths and thousands of new cases being reported every day, it is hard to believe that Dengue fever is preventable, curable, and controllable. Yang Zhicong, deputy head of the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control, said that although the situation appears dire, the Dengue fever epidemic should be under control by the end of October:

Guangzhou and many other regions have recently adopted measures to prevent the proliferation of Dengue Fever and to destroy mosquitoes and their spawning areas. At present, we are making progress.

The progress Yang refers to includes a government “patriotic hygiene campaign” to combat Dengue fever, declaring that every citizen has a duty to help stop the epidemic by eradicating mosquitoes and their spawning pools.

The following pictures of mass outdoor fumigation show citizens doing their part:

fumigation dengue fever guangdongfumigation dengue fever guangdongfumigation dengue fever guangdong

The chemical clouds of smoke have been described as an “anti-mosquito agent” and is being used on a grand scale. While Foshan just launched a city-wide mosquito eradication campaign, Guangzhou has been at it for much longer. Every day, 160 face-mask wearing “eradicating mosquito heroes” in Guangzhou spray 35 kilograms of the mystery agent.

fumigation dengue fever guangdong

fumigation dengue fever guangdong

Photos: Foshan Daily, China Daily, Ganguangdu

Haohao
Tagged:

Father Takes Baby To Pee Into Dirty Dishes at Anhui Restaurant

Posted: 09/2/2014 8:00 am

anhui baby pee restaurant dishes

There appears to be no shortage of public places babies and children will drop their drawers when nature calls. Yet, as far as we know, even this is a new one.

READ: Kitchen Confidential: Expose Details Beijing Restaurant’s Horrific Hygiene

According to the Anhui Economic Report, a father was photographed holding up his baby to relieve itself into a bucket full of dirty dishes at a waiter’s station in a restaurant in Hefei, Anhui Province.

After the photo was published on Weibo, the father was criticized online for letting his baby do what, apparently, is otherwise acceptable behavior for babies and children on subways, subway stations, airplanes, and most any other public place with a concrete floor, a linoleum tile, or a grassy pitch. Netizens were upset at his lack of manners and for not understanding that those dirty dishes are going to be used again one day, should they ever become clean.

anhui baby pee restaurant dishes

A reporter tracked down a person named Wu who had posted the picture. According to Wu, the incident occurred at 8:40pm on August 30 at a branch of the popular Bifengtang restaurant chain. Wu had posted the photograph because he was upset at the lack of manners displayed by the father.

READ: China’s Shrink-Wrapped Eating Utensils Are Not As Clean As You Think

As it turns out, the mother of the baby contacted Wu on his Weibo account. She apologized on behalf of the father and explained that the baby was in a rush, that it wasn’t intentional, and for everyone to please excuse the incident. This was good enough for Wu, who took down the photograph.

A worker for Bifengtang confirmed that the restaurant in the picture is indeed theirs, and are said to be performing their own investigation into the incident.

Related:

Photo: Global Times

Haohao
Tagged:

Ebola Test Kit Officially Approved for Production in Shenzhen

Posted: 08/21/2014 2:14 pm

ebola virusA test kit that can positively identify the Ebola virus has been approved for production with manufacturing set to begin soon in Shenzhen. The kit was invented by China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and is to be manufactured by Shenzhen Puruikang Biotech. It gained final official approval from the military’s logistics approval department and health department.

The test is able to identify the virus by using the virus’ gene sequence by means of a nucleic acid detection kit that utilizes a “compound probe”. That sounds quite confusing, so here’s all you need to know: it’s using the same technology previously used to develop test kits for the H1N1, H7N9 and NDM-1 viruses.

Because there is no vaccination for Ebola, doctors say early diagnosis is important for controlling the spread of the disease.

More than 1,300 people have been infected with the Ebola virus so far this year

Photo: International Business Times

Haohao
Tagged:

US National Library of Medicine Concerned About High Rates of Scrub Typhus in Guangzhou

Posted: 07/11/2014 11:36 am

scrub typhusThe rising number of cases of scrub typhus in Guangzhou has been alarming health officials, reportsPubMed, an official website for the US National Library of Medicine. Scrub typhus is transmitted by trombiculid mites, and is endemic to southern China and throughout Southeast Asia and Australia. Patients suffering from scrub typhus will experience fever, headache, muscle pain, cough, and gastrointestinal symptoms. If left untreated by antibiotics, it can be fatal.

Data obtained from the Chinese National Communicable Disease Surveillance Network shows steady growth of scrub typhus cases in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2012. In 2006, the rate was 3.29 per 100,000 residents; in 2012 it had risen to 9.85 per 100,000 residents.The urban district of Haizhu is one of the key high-risk areas.

So how can you prevent getting this disease? Unfortunately there are no vaccines available, so your best bet is to maintain very good levels of personal hygiene, make sure you’re not around any rodents, and obviously avoid areas where other cases have been reported.

Photo: Medscape

Haohao
Tagged:

Dangerous Snail That Can Transmit Diseases With a Single Touch Invades Fujian

Posted: 07/4/2014 10:00 am

giant african snail fujian fuzhou invasion invasive animal danger public safetyFujian Province is the site of an insidious invasion, and people in Fuzhou are being warned. A headline in the Strait Capital Report says:

African Giant Snail Has “Invaded” Fuzhou, Can’t Be Touched or Eaten,
Will Transmit Diseases

giant african snail fujian fuzhou invasion invasive animal danger public safety

Watch out, Fuzhou: The African giant snail is an invasive species that has infiltrated China. The report says it can be harmful to humans and livestock. Most notably, the African giant snail is a host for parasites and pathogens and can transmit such deadly diseases as tuberculosis and meningitis.

Experts recommend to cook food the African giant snail may have touched at temperatures of 100 degrees Celsius. Just by crawling over the surface of fruit and vegetables, the African giant snail is able to transmit diseases by the trail it leaves behind.

giant african snail fujian

The Strait Capital Report says:

A snail as big as a fist has shockingly appeared on the streets of Fuzhou. Yesterday evening, city resident Miss Cao saw such a “giant snail” near Tongpan Road. Curious, Miss Cao took a picture, and then called 968111 to report it.

giant african snail fujian fuzhou invasion invasive animal danger public safety

giant african snail fujian fuzhou invasion invasive animal danger public safety

This isn’t the first time the dangerous snail has been found in China. Stories on the slithery mollusk were done in 2013, 2012 (this time over in Xiamen), 2010, and 2005.

But while residents have been warned, some of the snails are still being sold as food.


giant african snail fujian fuzhou invasion invasive animal danger public safety

A market vendor was quoted admitting the public health menace is available at markets:

They’re selling very well. Many of them are sold in an afternoon. 5 yuan for half a kilogram. These snails are both cheap, and delicious.

As per the advice of the experts, we’re sure hope that these snails were cooked at temperatures over 100 degrees Celsius.

Photos: Strait Capital Report, qianlong, Sohu, fznews, xmnn, xinhuanet

Haohao
Tagged:

Jinan Restaurants Snub Health Inspectors, Close En Masse Instead

Posted: 07/3/2014 11:45 am

jinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulationLooking for a good restaurant in Jinan in Shandong Province? You may want to reconsider as hundreds of restaurants there have closed rather than submit to health inspections, reported the People’s Daily.

On July 1, a “secret” national hygiene municipal inspection was to be carried out in Jinan on a vast scale.  One-thousand volunteers wearing armbands conferring their official status were sent to inspect all of the city’s restaurants. When the eateries found out about the supposed “secret” inspection, they closed up shop.

READ: Guangzhou Restaurants Busted for Adding Addictive
Poppy Powder to Food

Many of these pictures were taken at around 4pm, just before the dinner rush, and yet there are hardly any people around. We wish we could tell you at least one restaurant defied the trend and stayed open, but the report doesn’t mention any.

Apparently, some restaurants have been ordered to take down their signs because they don’t meet health regulations, presumably due to the improper disposal of garbage that the volunteers were still able to inspect from outside the premises. The businesses are apparently waiting for the health inspection period to wrap up so they can re-open.

jinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulationjinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulationjinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulation

READ: Poppy Opiate Used at Foshan Restaurant to Make Food “Tastier”

jinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulationjinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulationjinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulation

READ: Merchant Processes Dried Bamboo Shoots in Toilet

jinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulationjinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulationjinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulation

Here are some pictures of the volunteer health inspectors, seemingly left with little to do:

jinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulationjinan restaurant health check closed shandong national hygiene regulation

Related:

Photos: cnr.cn

Haohao
Tagged:

Smelly Crocs For Sale in China Dangerous to Human Health

Posted: 07/1/2014 9:48 pm

crocsCrocs are as popular in China as Angry Birds or KFC, but now it appears they may be something besides hideous looking: they are apparently bad for your health.

CCTV is reporting that some varieties of Croc-style shoes sold in China pose a health risk to consumers due to some producers adding phthalates to the plastic shoes in order to increase their flexibility, durability, and longevity.

Guangzhou Daily blames domestic factories, which are trying to cut production costs by using the dangerous chemicals. The paper cites a German report noting six out of the ten Croc shoes tested contained polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). PAHs can cause problems when exposed to humans, particularly to expectant mothers. They can result in kids with asthma, anxiety, and other issues.

It’s important to note, however, no authentic shoes made by the Croc company itself were found with the additive.

So how can you tell if your shoes are safe? Apparently the hazardous fake Crocs have a strong, acrid odor. If you ask some Chinese retailers, though, they’ll say the smell is nothing to worry about. A vendor at a stall at Beijing’s Xiyuan market says the bad smell is normal.

All of the shoes that are on sale here can be purchased at malls for hundreds of kuai. However, both these shops and my own all get our stock from the same source. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the quality of these shoes. Take these shoes home and leave them out in the sun, and after a few days the odor will disappear.

Meanwhile, knock-off Crocs are also sold cheaply online. On Taobao, one high-profile retailer had sold over 1,000 Crocs for 50 yuan. After some customers had complained of the smell, the retailer wrote:

No matter what material is being used, there is always going to be a smell. When retail stores display their shoes for a long time, the smell won’t be as strong after a while. Shoes having a smell is normal, and has nothing to do with the shoes being bad. You just need to place them in a place with ventilation and sunlight, and the smell with disappear.

We hope that people everywhere will protect their own safety before buying a faulty product that poses health risks. After that, we also hope that people everywhere will choose to uphold a basic standard of fashion.

Photo: Business Insider

Haohao
Tagged:
Popular Stories
AROUND THE WEB
Keep in Touch

What's happening this week in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou? Sign up to be notified when we launch the This Week @ Nanfang newsletter.

sign up for our newsletter

Nanfang TV