On June 21, 2016, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced one new case of severe enterovirus infection with severe complications in a 2-year-old girl who resides in New Taipei City, which is this year’s seventh severe case of enterovirus infection. The case was infected with Coxsackie A5 virus and has recovered and been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment. According to the epidemiological investigation, none of the family members residing in the same household has developed suspected symptoms and the case had not come into any sick child. However, during the incubation period, the case briefly visited an afterschool class with her family. Therefore, the source of the case’s infection might be someone she came to contact with at a public place or an asytompatic caretaker.

The case is this year’s first severe case of enterovirus infection caused by CA5 virus. In the past years, most severe cases of CA5 virus infection occurred in children below the age of 3 and all of them recovered and were discharged from the hospital. Thus far this year, a cumulative total of 7 severe cases of enterovirus infection have been confirmed, including 5 caused by EV71 and 1 caused by CA 5 virus. As infants and children are at an increased risk for severe enterovirus infection, parents and child caregivers are urged to pay attention to their own health and the health of the children they care for and wash hands frequently with soap and water in order to ward of enterovirus infection

According to Taiwan CDC’s surveillance data, the overall enterovirus activity in Taiwan has remained high. During Week 24, June 12 and 18, 2016, the number of visits to outpatient services and ER for enterovirus infection in the nation was 26,886, which is 3.4% higher than that reported during the previous week. Moreover, 12 new cases of enterovirus 71 infections were confirmed in Hualien County, Taoyuan City, Kaohsiung City and Taitung County. Hualien County reported most cases, followed by Taoyuan City. Thus far this year, as of June 21, 72 cases of EV71 infection, including 61 mild cases, 5 suspected severe cases, and 6 severe cases, have been confirmed. Currently, Coxsackie A virus is the dominant strain circulating in the community. At the moment, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Macau and China have all reported high levels of enterovirus activity with a higher number of cases reported compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, Vietnam and Japan have reported the same or low levels of enterovirus activity with a lower number of cases reported compared to the same period last year.

Taiwan CDC once again stresses that as most patients with enterovirus infection experience mild symptoms such as influenza-like illness, the public is reminded to practice good personal hygiene and wash hands frequently with soap and water both at home and when outside in order to prevent enterovirus infection and transmission. When a child in a household is diagnosed with enterovirus infection, parents and child caregivers are urged to refrain the sick child from close contact with other children to prevent further spread of the disease and watch for the development of prodromal symptoms of severe enterovirus infection in the sick child such as drowsiness, disturbed consciousness, inactivity, flaccid paralysis, myoclonic jerk, continuous vomiting, tachypnea, and tachycardia to ensure timely treatment.　If any of the abovementioned symptoms develops, please take the child to a large hospital for medical attention immediately in order to ensure prompt treatment.　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).