訃告：連日清

對瘧疾控制和病媒傳染病的了解做出巨大貢獻的台灣著名昆蟲學家，於 2022 年2月16日去世

資料來源：http://www.thelancet.com/infection Vol 22 May 2022；財團法人台灣紅絲帶基金會編譯

    台灣著名昆蟲學家、瘧疾研究員、公共衛生專家連日清於2022年2月16日逝世，享年96歲。

    由於他在瘧疾方面的工作，連在台灣被普遍稱為蚊子博士。據世界衛生組織稱，台灣早在 1965 年就實現了瘧疾根除，據報導，連在從該國根除該疾病方面發揮了重要作用。此外，據報導，他在台灣大約 140 種蚊子中識別並命名了 29 種。

    雖然媒體報導和社交媒體消息沒有特別強調連的童年和初等教育，但台灣新聞的一篇報導稱，連完成學業後加入台灣政府的防疫隊伍。然而，據報導，他在日本長崎大學獲得了醫學博士學位。

    據《台北時報》報導，連在很年輕時就開始研究蚊子。當他開始從事與蚊子相關的最初研究時，他只有 15 歲，在台北帝國大學（現稱為台灣大學，位於台北）熱帶醫學研究所兼職。

    連與日本昆蟲學家大森南三郎 (Omori Nanzaburo) 合作，為預防和治療登革熱提供證據。 1942年台灣爆發登革熱，當時台灣800萬人口中，有近500萬人感染登革熱。連他本人當時也感染了登革熱病毒，這段經歷對他後來的生活產生了強烈的影響。他作為登革熱患者的經歷促使他更廣泛地研究蚊子和其他昆蟲。

    為了根除台灣的瘧疾，連氏組建了一個研究團隊，在他的領導下，進行了與蚊子和瘧疾有關的各種研究，並採取了必要的措施來根除這種疾病。 1965年，在連氏的領導下，台灣成為世界上第一個獲得世界衛生組織認證為免除瘧疾的國家。然而，在台灣消滅瘧疾後，連氏將注意力轉向登革熱。

   「消滅瘧疾、與登革熱有關的研究以及發現蚊子物種——連教授在這些領域做了非凡的工作。他還在熱帶疾病的預防和管理方面開展了廣泛的研究工作」，Swapan Jana（印度加爾各答社會藥理學會）評論道。「我長期關注他的研究——他在對抗蚊媒傳播疾病方面所做的工作將永遠被人們銘記」，Jana 告訴《刺胳針傳染病》雜誌。

   「連教授是一位有良心的傑出科學家」，蔡坤憲（台灣大學公共衛生學院，台北，台灣）說。 「他的去世對國家來說是一個巨大的損失。對我來說，我失去了我在病媒控制研究、教學和實踐方面的導師。連教授的工作不僅為台灣和非洲的瘧疾控制做出了貢獻，而且通過 One Health 方法促進了全球健康」。坤憲繼續說：「我和連教授長期一起做研究和教學。他是一個腳踏實地的人，對學習總是很認真」。他還回憶說，連在標本採集、分類等日常工作中從不依賴他人；他（連）喜歡自己思考和解決問題。

    連的年齡並未阻止他對工作的追求。據媒體報導，他繼續擔任研究團隊的領導者，前往全球不同地區，協助各國政府應對蚊子傳播的疾病。據報導，為了協助聖多美和普林西比控制瘧疾和培訓公共衛生人員，連 80 多歲時也在該國執行任務。

    與媒體的報導相呼應，坤憲說「連在 80 歲時仍實踐他所宣揚的，前往非洲流行地區。在那裡，他帶領年輕一代工作，希望在他的有生之年於聖多美和普林西比消除瘧疾」。據報導，連在聖多美和普林西比的貢獻協助該國將其瘧疾發生率從 2003 年的近 50% 降低到 2015 年的 1.01%，該國自 2014 年以來沒有與瘧疾相關的死亡。2011 年，連收到政府對其工作的認可，被授予總統三等景星勳章；此外，由於他在聖多美和普林西比的貢獻，台灣外交部於 2016 年授予他外交大勳章。媒體報導和社交消息並沒有具體透露連的死因和地點，也沒有透露他家人的任何細節。

桑吉特·巴奇報導

Lien Jih-ching

The eminent Taiwanese entomologist, who greatly contributed to malaria control and understanding of vector-borne diseases, died on Feb 16, 2022

    Lien Jih-ching, a renowned Taiwanese entomologist, malaria researcher, and public health specialist, passed away on Feb 16, 2022, at the age of 96 years.

    Lien was popularly known as Dr Mosquito in Taiwan, thanks to his work on malaria. Taiwan achieved malaria eradication, according to WHO, as early as 1965, and Lien reportedly had an important role in eradicating the disease from the country. Also, he reportedly identified and named 29 of approximately 140 mosquito species present in Taiwan.

    Although media reports and social media sources did not specifically highlight Lien’s childhood and initial education, a report in Taiwan News said that Lien joined the epidemic prevention workforce of the Taiwan government after completion of his school education. He, however, reportedly received a doctorate in medical science from Nagasaki University, in Japan.

    According to a report by Taipei Times, Lien started working on mosquitoes at an early age. He was just 15 years old when he started his initial mosquito-related research, working part-time at the Taihoku Imperial University’s (currently known as National Taiwan University, based in Taipei) Tropical Medicine Research Institute.

    Lien worked with Japanese entomologist Omori Nanzaburo in generating evidence for the prevention and treatment of dengue fever. When an outbreak of dengue fever hit Taiwan in 1942, out of Taiwan’s total population of 8 million at the time, nearly 5 million people had dengue infection. Lien himself also suffered from infection with dengue virus at that time, and the experience had a strong impact on his later life. His experience as a patient of dengue prompted him to work more extensively on mosquitoes and other insects.

    To eradicate malaria from Taiwan, Lien developed a team of researchers that, under his leadership, conducted various studies relating to mosquitoes and malaria and took up necessary steps to eradicate the disease. Under the leadership of Lien, Taiwan became the first country across the world to have WHO certification for becoming malaria free in 1965. However, after the eradication of malaria from Taiwan, Lien shifted his concentration towards dengue fever.

    “Malaria eradication, studies relating to dengue, and mosquito species discovery—Professor Lien did phenomenal work [in] these fields. He also did extensive research work with respect to prevention and management [of] tropical diseases”, commented Swapan Jana (Society for Social Pharmacology, Kolkata, India). “I’ve followed his research for a long time—he will always be remembered for his work to combat mosquito vector-borne diseases”, Jana told The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

    “Professor Lien was an outstanding scientist with a decent heart”, said Tsai Kun-hsien (College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan). “His death is a huge loss for the country. For me, I lost my mentor in research, teaching, and practicing [of] vector-control. Professor Lien’s work not only contributed to malaria control in Taiwan and Africa but also promoted global health with the One Health approach.” Kun-hsien continued: “Professor Lien and I have been doing research and teaching together for a long time. He was a down-to-earth kind of guy and always conscientious about his studies”. He also reminisced that Lien did not rely on others in routine works such as specimen collection and classification; he (Lien) liked to think and solve problems by himself.

    Lien’s age could not stop his quest for work. He kept on working as a leader of the research teams that went to different parts of the globe, assisting the governments of various countries to tackle diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, said media reports. To assist Sāo Tomé and Príncipe in controlling malaria and training public health staff, Lien reportedly carried out missions in the country, even during his 80s.

    Echoing the media reports, Kun-hsien said that Lien practiced “what he preached by going to the endemic areas in Africa even at the age of 80. There he led the young generation to work in the hope of eliminating malaria in Sāo Tomé and Príncipe in his lifetime”. Lien’s contributions in Sāo Tomé and Príncipe reportedly helped reduce the incidence rate of malaria in the country from nearly 50% in 2003 to 1·01% in 2015, and the country has had no death related to malaria since 2014.

    In 2011, Lien received government recognition for his work, as the presidential third-class Order of Brilliant Star; also, for his contributions in Sāo Tomé and Príncipe, Taiwan’s ministry foreign affairs awarded him, in 2016, the Grand Medal of Diplomacy. Media reports and social sources did not specifically reveal the cause and location of Lien’s death nor any details about his family members.

Sanjeet Bagcchi