On March 20, 2012, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced three new cases of enterovirus 71 infection with severe complications. The cases respectively are a two-year-and-ten-month-old girl who resides in northern Taiwan, and a two-year-and-six-month-old boy and a five-month-old boy who reside in southern Taiwan. In early March, they respectively developed symptoms pertaining to enterovirus infection, including fever, oral ulcer, rashes on limbs and buttocks, and prodromal signs of complications, including drowsiness, myoclonic jerk, tachycardia, and vomiting. Fortunately, they were all promptly rushed to a large hospital for medical treatment. As of now, they have all recovered and been discharged.

The threat of enterovirus 71 still persists as mild cases of enterovirus 71 and cases of enterovirus infection with severe complications have still been detected. As of March 19, a total of 17 cases of enterovirus infection with severe complications have been reported. Taiwan CDC advises as the weather gets warmer, the number of enterovirus cases, including enterovirus infection with severe complications, will increase.

Taiwan CDC once again warns that enterovirus is highly contagious and the risk of transmission is higher at home and school, including kindergarten, child care centers and student care centers. Infants and children under the age of 5 are at the highest risk for complications. When a child in a household is diagnosed with enterovirus infection, please refrain the sick child from close contact with other children. The excrement (feces, nasal and oral secretions) of the patient shall be handled with care, and parents shall immediately wash their hands after disposing of them. In addition, 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.