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Straits Times
03-07-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Australian man dies from bat bite
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The virus is transmitted when bat saliva enters the human body through a bite or scratch. SYDNEY - An Australian man has died from an 'extremely rare' rabies-like infection transmitted by a bat bite, health officials said on July 3. The man in his 50s was bitten by a bat carrying Australian bat lyssavirus several months ago, the health service in New South Wales said. 'We express our sincere condolences to the man's family and friends for their tragic loss,' NSW Health said in a statement. 'While it is extremely rare to see a case of Australian bat lyssavirus, there is no effective treatment for it.' The man from northern New South Wales, who has not been identified, was this week listed as being in a 'critical condition' in hospital. The virus – a close relative to rabies, which does not exist in Australia – is transmitted when bat saliva enters the human body through a bite or scratch. First symptoms can take days or years to appear. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore Over 40% of Singaporean seniors have claimed SG60 vouchers: Low Yen Ling Asia 4 dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali Singapore $1.46b nickel-trading scam: Ng Yu Zhi's bid for bail midway through trial denied by High Court Singapore Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng Singapore Jail for 'sugar daddy' who gave minor cash for sex, threatened to post her explicit videos online Singapore Train service resumes across Bukit Panjang LRT line after power fault led to 3-hour disruption Asia Bus carrying 46 passengers crashes with two lorries in Johor, leaving two dead, 16 injured Early signs of the disease are flu-like – a headache, fever and fatigue, the health service said. The victim's condition rapidly deteriorates, leading to paralysis, delirium, convulsions and death. There were only three previous cases of human infection by Australian bat lyssavirus since it was first identified in 1996 – all of them fatal. People should avoid touching or handling bats, as any bat in Australia could carry lyssavirus, the New South Wales health service said. 'If you or someone you know is bitten or scratched by a bat, you need to wash the wound thoroughly for 15 minutes right away with soap and water and apply an antiseptic with anti-virus action,' it said. 'Patients then require treatment with rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine.' The virus has been found in species of flying foxes and insect-eating microbats, NSW Health said. The type of bat involved in the latest fatality has not been identified. AFP
Straits Times
03-07-2025
- Straits Times
Seoul is going easy on its ‘lovebugs', many people want them dead
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Seoul had its first known lovebug infestation in 2022, and people in and around the capital are still not used to them. SEOUL – They're called 'lovebugs' but nobody seems to love them. In fact, a lot of people in South Korea want them dead. The thumbnail-size insects began swarming parts of Seoul and nearby cities in mating pairs in June. The infestation is expected to end by this weekend, and lovebugs pose no health risks to humans, so officials have opted for a gentle approach. Municipal workers are mostly spraying water at them, and officials have advised residents to do the same. 'Lovebugs are not pests!' the Seoul government says in a promotional video. 'Stop using pesticides and protect nature!' But residents getting caught in the swarms, or scraping layers of lovebug carcasses from their storefronts, can't understand why Seoul's most annoying summer insect is getting off so lightly. They want officials to put away the garden hoses and break out the poison. 'There's nothing beneficial about them,' Mr Ahn Yeon-sik said this week, as he hosed down lovebugs from the front of his bar in Incheon, a city neighbouring Seoul where officials have also urged the environmentally friendly approach. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore Over 40% of Singaporean seniors have claimed SG60 vouchers: Low Yen Ling Asia 4 dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali Singapore $1.46b nickel-trading scam: Ng Yu Zhi's bid for bail midway through trial denied by High Court Singapore Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng Singapore Jail for 'sugar daddy' who gave minor cash for sex, threatened to post her explicit videos online Singapore Train service resumes across Bukit Panjang LRT line after power fault led to 3-hour disruption Asia Bus carrying 46 passengers crashes with two lorries in Johor, leaving two dead, 16 injured Nearby, a man trying to sit on a bench swatted the bugs with a piece of cardboard. A pedestrian ducked swiftly to dodge a pair bearing down on her. 'I'm told they hate water, but it hasn't worked,' Mr Ahn said, pausing to bat one away from his neck. He added that he had also doused them with mosquito spray and soju, a popular spirit, to little effect. The humble lovebug, Plecia longiforceps, pollinates flowers and helps to break down fallen leaves and branches to enrich the soil. It does not bite or carry disease, scientists say. But because lovebugs are often locked together in their characteristic mating formation, they can appear to be twice their actual size. They also travel in large swarms that can feel unpleasant if you become surrounded. Seoul had its first known lovebug infestation in 2022, and people in and around the capital are still not used to them. In 2025, officials in Seoul and Incheon have received thousands of complaints from residents, asking for the insects to be removed from their homes and streets. Mr Kim Jae-woong, a welder, set off for a hike last weekend at a mountain in Gyeyang, a district of Incheon. He found swarms of lovebugs so thick that they obscured his view and piles of carcasses on the trails. Some bugs even worked their way into his shorts and T-shirt. 'I thought it was bearable at first,' he said. 'And then there were dead bugs on the ground and it stank.' He said he shoveled them by hand to clear the trail for other hikers before trekking back down, shaking the bugs off his body and returning home. 'I heard they were beneficial insects. Why are they called that?' he said. 'They have such an unpleasant, repulsive image.' Psychological appeasement So far, most officials in Seoul and Incheon have stuck with a water-based approach to lovebug management. Several Seoul districts have urged people to spray them with water and to avoid wearing brightly coloured clothing, which could draw their attention. At least one district has rented pump sprayers to residents for free. But on July 1, health officials in Gyeyang caved to the public pressure by activating fumigation trucks. South Korea routinely uses them on mosquitoes, cockroaches and other insects that actually threaten public health. 'We couldn't handle the volume of complaints,' said Mr Baek Eun-sil, director of the district's infectious disease prevention team. 'People said they were too disgusting, scary and uncomfortable to live with if we didn't kill them.' Even the fumigation did not help, said Mr Nam In, who runs a coffee shop there. He said he doubted that officials had any power to fight the infestation. 'They're just trying to appease us psychologically,' he said, as lovebugs crawled on his cafe's windows and tile floor. 'The number of bugs is beyond human control.' The size of the infestation is anyone's guess. It seems likely that the bugs entered South Korea on ships that sailed from eastern China, said Professor Seunggwan Shin, who studies the insects at Seoul National University. Their eggs lie in damp soil and underneath leaves during the winter before emerging in warm weather. Over the past few summers, they have been limited to the region around the capital, he said. It is not clear how officials could more effectively deal with them. Prof Shin said using pesticides could allow the bugs to develop a resistance, with negative impacts on their predators, such as birds and praying mantises. His research suggests that lovebugs could be lured away with light. Residents are trying other approaches in the meantime. One hiker scraped off lovebugs that were clinging to a railing along a trail and collected them in a small plastic bag. He brought them home and put them in his freezer, then made them into a burger patty that he cooked and ate in a YouTube video. He gave his 'loveburger' 4.5 stars out of five. NYTIMES
Straits Times
03-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Car services company admits to posting AI-generated reviews on sgCarMart
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox In the fake reviews, the names, vehicle registration numbers and vehicle photographs of customers were used without consent. SINGAPORE - The owner of an automobile services company has admitted to posting AI-generated five-star reviews on car listing website sgCarMart, said Singapore's consumer watchdog on July 3. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) said it received a complaint from a customer of Lambency Detailing, a company which provides car painting and detailing services, after she found unauthorised reviews posted under her name. Following an investigation, CCCS found that seven other customers were also victims to these fake reviews, and their vehicles registration numbers and photographs had been posted without their consent. Holding company Quantum Globe, which owns and operates Lambency Detailing, admitted to submitting false reviews when confronted with the evidence, said CCCS in a statement. The reviews were submitted through a QR code provided by sgCarMart, which allowed users to submit feedback without an account on the car listing website, Facebook or Google. Quantum Globe said that the reviews, customised based on services received by each customer, were generated by ChatGPT. Posting fake customer reviews is an unfair trade practice, said CCCS. 'Consumers might be misled into thinking that the product is more well-received than it actually is, and thus make misinformed purchase decisions.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore Over 40% of Singaporean seniors have claimed SG60 vouchers: Low Yen Ling Asia 4 dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali Singapore $1.46b nickel-trading scam: Ng Yu Zhi's bid for bail midway through trial denied by High Court Singapore Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng Singapore Jail for 'sugar daddy' who gave minor cash for sex, threatened to post her explicit videos online Singapore Train service resumes across Bukit Panjang LRT line after power fault led to 3-hour disruption Singapore Is using Gen AI for schoolwork and tests cheating? Quantum Global director Matthew Lim has promised that he will not engage in further unfair trade practices, said CCCS. The company has agreed to, for six months, set up a channel which allows customers to report any fake reviews that have been posted on sgCarMart. It will also publish notices on sgCarMart and other online platforms that it has posted fake reviews. The company will also notify customers whose details were used in these reviews, and remove them within eight days. SGCM, which owns and operates sgCarMart, said that it is exploring additional verification measures, such as SMS or e-mail confirmation, to improve the integrity and authenticity of reviews. CCCS chief executive Alvin Koh said that this is the second fake review case that the watchdog has uncovered, and the first which involves a third-party platform and AI. 'When businesses post fake reviews to boost their ratings and popularity, they poison the well of consumer trust,' he said. 'Such deceptive practices, also known as 'dark patterns', not only mislead consumers but also disadvantage honest competing businesses.'
