On October 23, 2012, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced two new cases of enterovirus 71 infection with severe complications confirmed last week. The cases respectively are a three-year-old girl who resides in northern Taiwan and six-month-old girl who resides in southern Taiwan. Since the beginning of October, theydeveloped rashes on limbs, persistent fever and oral ulcer. After seeking medical attention at a clinic, they were diagnosed with enterovirus infection. Subsequently, when the cases developed prodromal signs of complications such as vomiting and myoclonus, they were transferred to a large hospital for further medical treatment. After receiving appropriate treatment, the cases have recovered and been discharged from the hospital. As of October 21, a cumulative total of 149 cases of enterovirus infection with severe complications have been reported this year. Of the cases, 146 were infected with enterovirus 71, including two deaths.

According to the surveillance data compiled by Taiwan CDC, enterovirus activity has been on a steady decline.Nevertheless, enterovirus 71 remains the dominant virus strain circulating in the community and the risk of transmission and developing complications remains.  Hence, Taiwan CDC urges public and caregivers of children to pay attention to personal and child hygiene and wash hands frequently to effectively decrease the chance of enterovirus transmission.

Taiwan CDC once again warns that enterovirus is highly contagious and the risk of transmission is higher crowded places, including kindergarten, child care centers and student care centers. Hence, Taiwan CDC would like to remind the public to maintain environmental cleanliness and disinfect children’s toys regularly. Both adults and children should develop good personal hygiene habits, including seeking medical attention immediately when sick, resting at home when sick, and avoiding contact with infants and young children and visiting crowded places when sick in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission and risk of developing complications and ensure prompt recovery.

As enterovirus 71 is more likely to result in complications and it continues to circulate in the community, 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.