On March 23, 2016, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced this year’s first travel-related measles case in a 48-year-old female who resides in Taipei City. On March 12, she developed fever and weakness in all parts of the body. On March 14, she sought medical attention at a clinic. Subsequently, when she developed rash, conjunctivitis, and painful urination, she sought further medical attention several times at a clinic and a hospital during March 16 and 19. The case was reported to the health authority as a suspected measles case by the hospital and measles infection was later laboratory-confirmed in the case. As of now, the case has recovered and been removed from isolation. According to the epidemiological investigation, the case visited China for business during March 2 and 5. Hence, it is determined that the case is an imported case.

To prevent further transmission of the disease, the health authority has implemented a number of prevention measures and identified 231 contacts, including her family members, colleagues, healthcare personnel and patients that she came into contact with when she sought medical attention, to monitor and follow up until April 7. 54 of the contacts have been followed up, 175 of them are being followed up, and 2 are out of touch.　Currently, none of the contacts has developed suspected symptoms. In addition, during the infectious period (March 12 and 20), the case took the MRT Songshan-Xindian Line to and from her home for work. She usually took the 8:30 am train from Nanjing Sanmin Station to Zhongshan Station and the 6:00 pm train from Zhongshan Station to Nanjing Sanmin Station. As a result, people who have visited the aforementioned stations during the aforementioned periods of time are potential contacts and are thus urged to conduct self-health management for 18 days after the last possible contact with the case. If suspected symptoms develop, please put on a mask immediately, seek prompt medical attention and voluntarily notify the physician of relevant exposure history.

Thus far this year, a total of 1 measles case (imported) has been confirmed. Last year, a total of 23 indigenous measles cases, including 19 clustered cases who work at the same place, 2 clustered cases at a hospital, and 2 cases with unknown sources of infection, and 6 imported measles cases from China, including 2 clustered cases, have been confirmed in Taiwan.　

Taiwan CDC reminds that vaccination remains the best way to prevent measles. In Taiwan, the existing routine childhood vaccination schedule recommends a dose of MMR vaccine to children 12 months of age and another dose to first graders in elementary schools. Unvaccinated infants and children, those who do not receive vaccine in a timely manner and those who have never been infected with measles are high-risk groups. Parents are urged to ensure timely vaccination of children under one year old and those who have not completed the MMR vaccine series and avoid bringing unvaccinated children to the affected areas in order to prevent infection. Travelers planning to visit affected areas are advised to visit the outpatient travel clinic at 26 contracted hospitals in the nation to determine the need for MMR vaccination 2 to 4 weeks prior to their trip. If symptoms pertaining to measels infection such as fever, fatigue, nasopharyngitis and obviously swollen lymph nodes behind the ears, and generalized irregular papules, joint pain or arthritis develop after returning to Taiwan from affected areas, please put on a mask, seek immediate medical attention, and voluntarily inform the physician of relevant travel and exposure history. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).