On August 14, 2012, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced six new cases of enterovirus 71 infection with severe complications. The cases are an one-month-old boy, a two-year-and-eleven-month-old boy, a three-year-old boy, a five year-old girl, and a ten-year-and-two-month-old girl who reside in northern Taiwan and an eight-month-old girl who resides on the offshore island. All six cases have recovered and been discharged from the hospital. As of August 13, a total of 130 cases of enterovirus infection with severe complications have been reported this year. Of the cases, 127 were infected with enterovirus 71, including two deaths.

According to the surveillance data compiled by Taiwan CDC, the number of enterovirus infections reported has been on the decline. In addition, the enterovirus epidemic is past at its peak. Nevertheless, enterovirus 71 remains the dominant virus strain circulating in the community and enterovirus infections with severe complications have continued to be detected, particularly in northern Taiwan. Hence, Taiwan CDC would like to remind the public to pay attention to personal and child hygiene and wash hands frequently to effectively decrease the chance of enterovirus infection.

Taiwan CDC once again warns that enterovirus is highly contagious and the risk of transmission is higher at home and school, including kindergarten, child care centers and student care centers. In addition, many people who are infected with enterovirus do not develop symptoms or experience only mild flu-like symptoms. Therefore, when a child in a household is diagnosed with enterovirus infection, 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 call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922, or 0800-024582 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.