On November 25, 2014, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) presented a certificate of appreciation to Derek Duck Industries Corp. for donating 10,000 sets of personal protective clothing in contribution to the government’s Ebola preparedness and response efforts. Taiwan CDC Director-General Steve Hsu-Sung Kuo praised their donation and the company’s commitment to their corporate social responsibility practices, acting as a role model to be emulated in the industry.

To ensure thorough implementation of infection control practices in health-care settings and proper donning, wearing and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE) by healthcare workers, Taiwan CDC has revised its PPE recommendation for Ebola based on the World Health Organization PPE guidance. In addition, Taiwan CDC has requested all regional-level and above hospitals to train their frontline healthcare workers the proper donning, wearing and doffing of PPE in order to ensure their safety and the safety of the patients. The revised PPE recommendation for Ebola is available on the Taiwan CDC’s website (http://www.cdc.gov.tw).

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that as of November 21, 2014, a cumulative total of 15,351cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 5,459 deaths, had been reported in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, the United States of America and Spain. Of the reported cases, 588 are healthcare workers and 337 of them died.

Taiwan CDC reminds the public that new Ebola cases have continued to occur overseas and although the risk of Ebola being imported into Taiwan is low, it cannot be eliminated and everyone needs to stay vigilant for the disease. Taiwan CDC recommends the public to avoid all non-essential travels to Ebola-affected areas of West Africa, including Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and advises travelers visiting affected areas to avoid visiting hospitals or having contacts with patients. In addition, travelers are urged to monitor their own health for 21 days after their return to Taiwan. If symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea or rash develop, please call the toll-free hotline 1922(or 0800-001922) and voluntarily inform the doctor of any recent travel and exposure history to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. On the other hand, physicians are advised to stay vigilant for suspected cases, inquire about such patients’ travel and exposure history, and notify the health authority immediately of any suspected cases to facilitate implementation of subsequent measures such as case reporting, specimen collection, isolation of patients, and placing contacts in quarantine in order to prevent further transmission of the disease. Furthermore, healthcare workers are urged to stay alert, don on appropriate personal equipment while attending to patients because initial signs and symptoms are atypical of Ebola, and follow infection control and prevention guidelines such as washing hand frequently, paying attention to respiratory hygiene, avoiding splashing of body fluids. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at: www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).