In the evening of October 9, 2014, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control received a report of suspected Ebola case in a 45-year-old Nigerian woman from a hospital in Northern Taiwan. In the afternoon of October 2, the case arrived in Taiwan. On October 8, she experienced fever (unmeasured), elbow pain and knee pain. In the afternoon of October 9, she sought medical attention at a hospital. The case stated that none of her family members or close friends hads experienced suspected symptoms, she had not visited anyone in the hospital, and she had not been exposed to wild animals. After a preliminary evaluation, the hospital reported the case to Taiwan CDC. The patient was immediately isolated in the hospital. As soon as specimens were collected from the patient, they were submitted to Taiwan CDC for laboratory testing. The test result showed the patient is negative for the Ebola virus. At the time of writing, the result for malaria test is still pending. As of now, the patient no longer experiences fever and her joint pains have subsided. Hence, the patient has been removed from isolation.

Taiwan CDC advises travelers visiting Ebola-affected areas of West Africa, including Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, to avoid visiting hospitals or having contacts with patients. In addition, travelers are urged to monitor their own health for 21 days after their return to Taiwan. If symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea or rash develop, please call the toll-free hotline 1922(or 0800-001922) and voluntarily inform the doctor of any recent travel and exposure history to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. On the other hand, physicians are advised to stay vigilant for suspected cases, inquire about such patients’ travel and exposure history, and notify the health authority immediately of any suspected cases to facilitate implementation of subsequent measures such as case reporting, specimen collection, isolation of patients, and placing contacts in quarantine in order to prevent further transmission of the disease. Furthermore, healthcare workers are urged to stay alert, don on appropriate personal equipment while attending to patients because initial signs and symptoms are atypical of Ebola, and follow infection control and prevention guidelines such as washing hand frequently, paying attention to respiratory hygiene, avoiding splashing of body fluids . For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at: www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).