Since the occurrence of the acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) outbreak in early October, Taiwan CDC has recently announced that the number of cases suffering from AHC is declining according to the national surveillance data and the outbreak is currently under control. A drop in the number of new cases reported from Taipei City, Taipei County, Keelung City, Chiayi County, and Yunlin County has been observed.
A further investigation into the outbreak using virus culture and sequence analysis has determined that Coxsackie virus A24 is the major cause of this outbreak.
AHC is commonly known as pinkeye. In response to the pinkeye outbreak, the Department of Health has established a task force to reinforce the control and prevention of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. In brief, the task force was formed to provide local health units with all the necessary assistance needed to contain the outbreak, set up a national consultation hotline, offer the public relevant information, and assign additional ophthalmologists to the hospitals under the direct jurisdiction of the Department of Health as well as local health units.
To prevent further transmission of this outbreak, Taiwan CDC has issued acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis prevention guidelines for schools and the National Athletic Games. Although this epidemic is now under control, Taiwan CDC urges the public to maintain good personal hygiene to avoid all kinds of diseases.
Taiwan CDC would also like to remind the public that the symptoms of pinkeye may include the following: whites of the eye turn red, drainage, eyelid swelling, discomfort or inflammation in the eyes. In addition, after the appearance of its first sign, the symptoms of pinkeye usually peak in four to five days, and then start to resolve. A full recovery usually takes 2 to 3 weeks. Patients are advised to wash their hands frequently with soap by following five simple steps: “wet, scrub, rinse, hold, wipe”. Do not rub your eyes with hands, and use only clean towel, cotton pad or tissue paper to clean eyes. Also, do not share towel, and do not apply random eye drop without first checking with your doctor.
For more information about the infectious disease, please dial the consultation hotline 1922 operated by Taiwan CDC, or visit Taiwan CDC’s website: http://www.cdc.gov.tw .