On November 11, 2014, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced one new case of measles in a one-and-a-half-year-old boy and this case is the third case related to the family cluster reported in Nantou County last week. The case was hospitalized for treatment due to fever. Measles infection was later confirmed. As of now, the case has recovered and been discharged. According to the epidemiological investigation, the boy received the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine three months ago. As a result, the case experienced milder symptoms and was considered to have partial immunity against measles and as less infectious. To prevent further transmission of the disease, the health authorities has implemented a number of prevention measures and identified 26 contacts to monitor and follow up. As of now, the family cluster has resulted in measles infection of five cases. Thus far, only the index case has been removed from the follow-up list, the 540 contacts of all the other cases will be monitored and followed up until November 15.

Thus far this year, a total of 8 indigenous measles cases and 18 imported measles cases have been confirmed in Taiwan. Among the imported cases, 6 became infected in China, 6 became infected in the Philippines, 2 became infected in Indonesia, 1 became infected in Hong Kong, 1 became infected in Malaysia, and 2 became infected in Vietnam. Taiwan CDC advises travelers planning to visit areas affected by measles to visit the outpatient travel clinic at 23 contracted hospitals in the nation to determine the need for measles vaccination prior to their trip. As vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles, parents are urged to ensure timely vaccination of children under one year old and those who have not completed the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine series and are advised against bringing children below the age of one or those who have not received the MMR vaccine to areas affected by measles. If such travel is inevitable, children are recommended to receive one dose of self-paid MMR vaccine two weeks prior to visiting the affected areas at local health stations.

Measles is a highly infectious respiratory disease that is spread by contact with droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of an infected person, either directly or through aerosol transmission. An infected person remains infectious 4 days before and after the development of rash. The transmission of measles is further facilitated by ever increasing international exchange and travel, especially among populations that are not vaccinated against the disease. If symptoms pertaining to measles infection such as fever, rhinitis and rash develop, 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’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922, or 0800-001922.