As the peak of enterovirus infection season has approached, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) reminds the public that enterovirus is highly contagious, particularly in crowded indoor space such as household, campus, and day care. Hence, the public is urged to pay attention to personal hygiene and wash hands with soap and water frequently to ward off infection. Moreover child caregivers, including parents and family members, are advised to pay attention prodromal symptoms of severe enterovirus infection in children.

According to surveillance data collected by Taiwan CDC, the ER consultation rate for enterovirus infection during Week 17 increased from that during the previous week. During the recent four weeks, the numbers of people seeking ER for enterovirus infection respectively are 349, 314, 307, and 427, while the numbers of people seeking outpatient services for enterovirus infection respectively are 6,187, 5,424, 6,672, and 7,992. At the moment, the ER consultation rate for enterovirus infection (3.45‰) is higher than the epidemic threshold (2.70 ‰). Coxsackie A virus is currently the dominant strain circulating in the community, accounting for approximately 63.6% of all cases. Thus far, one severe case of enterovirus infection caused by CB 5 virus has been confirmed. Taiwan CDC will continue to monitor the development of the epidemic and the dominant virus strain variation.

Globally, enterovirus epidemics continue to increase. As of mid- to late-April, a cumulative total of over 17,000 cases, 8,800 cases, and 13,000 cases of enterovirus infection were respectively confirmed in Japan, Singapore and Vietnam. Among them, the cumulative numbers of cases reported is both Japan and Singapore reported are higher than the average reported during the same period in the past five years. Based on past epidemics, the peak of this year’s epidemic might occur during July and August in those two countries. On the other hand, the peaks of enterovirus epidemics in Vietnam in the past were observed during May and June and September and October each year. In China, this year’s enterovirus epidemic has only begun to increase gradually. As of March, a cumulative total of over 150,000 cases of enterovirus infection, including 14 deaths, have been confirmed in China, which is lower than that reported during the same period last year. Overall, the enterovirus epidemic in China usually begins to increase in March and reaches its peak during May and June. In Malaysia, the peak of this year’s enterovirus epidemic began to decline after reaching its peak in the end of March. Previously, a large-scale outbreak occurred in Malaysia in 2012. Therefore, based on the three-year cycle, it is not unlikely that another peak might occur in Malaysia again later this year.

Both parents and children are urged to pay attention to hygiene and wash hands frequently, especially before holding and feeding infants and children. When a child in a household is diagnosed with enterovirus infection, please refrain the sick child from close contact with other children. The excrement (feces, nasal and oral secretions) of the patient shall be handled with care, and parents shall immediately wash their hands after disposing of them. In addition, parents are urged to pay close attention to the symptoms of the sick child. Once the sick child develops suspected symptoms such as drowsiness, disturbed consciousness, inactivity, flaccid paralysis, myoclonic jerk, continuous vomiting, tachypnea, and tachycardia, please take the child to a large hospital immediately in order to ensure prompt treatment. For more information on enterovirus, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).