On May 1, 2014, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced this year’s first case of eneterovirus infection with severe complications. The case is a 9-month-old baby girl who resides in central Taiwan. In late April, the case developed symptoms pertaining to encephalitis such as fever, herpangina, unconsciousness, muscle twitching, and weakness in left limbs. Fortunately, she was promptly rushed to a hospital for medical treatment and is currently in stable condition and recovering. She was diagnosed with coxsackie virus A2 infection with severe complications. Although in the past three years, two cases of coxsackie virus A2 infection with severe complications were confirmed, most cases infected with coxsackie A virus develop mild symptoms. Hence, Taiwan CDC urges the public not to panic and advises the public to take measures to ward off infection, including washing hands thoroughly and frequently, staying at home when sick, seeking medical assistance at a large hospital when prodromal symptoms of severe infection develop.

 According to surveillance data compiled by Taiwan CDC, as of now, the ER consultation rate for enterovirus infection is about to hit the epidemic threshold and coxsackie virus A2 and A10 are currently the dominant viruses circulating in the community. After the large-scale outbreak of EV 71 infection that occurred the year before, EV 71 activity has remained low and no EV 71 cases have been detected thus far this year. As there are many different types of enteroviruses, besides EV71, occasionally other types of enterovirus can also lead to severe complications. Therefore, both physicians and the public are urged to stay vigilant.

Parents and caregivers of children are advised against taking children to crowded indoor spaces. In addition, both parents and children are urged to pay attention to hygiene and wash hands frequently when out in the public. Moreover, Taiwan CDC also reminds the public to clean and disinfect the environment and toys and objects children play with regularly and educate children the importance of cleanliness in maintaining health in order to prevent disease transmission. When a child is suspected of enterovirus infection, please assist the child in seeking immediate medical attention and ensure the child receive treatment according to the doctor’s instructions. If someone in the household is infected with enterovirus, please refrain the sick person from close contact with other healthy children to prevent further spread of the disease.

Taiwan CDC urges parents to pay close attention to the symptoms of the child diagnosed with enterovirus infection, if 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 for medical attention immediately in order to ensure prompt treatment. For more information about enterovirus, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).