In response to the occurrence of the first imported human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) in Taiwan, Premier of the Executive Yuan Yi-Huah Jiang convened the 6th meeting held by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) for H7N9 influenza to monitor the progress in disease prevention efforts by each department. During his second visit to CECC for H7N9 influenza, Premier Jiang applauded CECC’s earlier efforts in preventing the transmission of H7N9 influenza into Taiwan. Due to frequent exchanges between China and Taiwan, the first imported human case of avian influenza A (H7N9) infection has occurred. To ensure the health and wellbeing of the people in Taiwan and Taiwan’s future economic prosperity, Premier Jiang instructed CECC to continue to formulate various prevention and control measures according to the development of the situation and other government agencies should participate in the implementation of relevant prevention and control measures more aggressively and share all important information with one another promptly. Moreover, Premier Jiang also instructed the Council of Agriculture to consider rescheduling the ban on slaughtering of live poultry at traditional wet markets to a date prior to June 17, 2013 according to the development of the ongoing outbreak. Further, Premier Jiang also ordered CECC to continue to implement existing prevention and control measures, including disease surveillance, border quarantine, screening and diagnosis, isolation measures, vaccine research and development, and antiviral stockpiling. Premier Jiang also mentioned developing the H7N9 vaccine remains a top priority and the vaccine development will be financed by the Executive Yuan’s second budget reserve.

The sixth meeting held by CECC on April 25, 2013 reached the decision of issuing travel notice based on epidemic intelligence gathered from the World Health Organization, advanced countries and areas affected by H7N9 by CECC or the Department of Health (DOH) (Please refer to the attached file) according to the development of the H7N9 influenza outbreak. The Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Mainland Affairs Council and the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications will implement appropriate response measures based on the travel notice issued by CECC or DOH.


At the time of writing, officials from the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) confirmed a total of 109 cases of human infections with the avian influenza A(H7N9) virus, including 23 deaths, have occurred in Shanghai (33, including 12 deaths), Jiangsu Province(24, including 4 deaths), Zhejiang Province (42, including 6 deaths), Anhui Province (4 including 1 death), Beijing (1), Henan Province (4), and Shandong Province (1). Between 8am on April 24 and 8am on April 25, 2013, Taiwan CDC received reports of 5 suspected cases. Of the cases, 3 were reported by the quarantine office at the airport and 2 were reported by the healthcare provider. As of now, the possibility of H7N9 infection has been ruled out in all of them.



For more information, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-001922 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw