As schools of all levels are reopening this week, increased interaction among schoolchildren after schools resume will likely increase the transmission of enterovirus both at home and at school. According to the surveillance data compiled by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), the recent ER consultation rate for enterovirus infection has continued to stay higher than the epidemic threshold. Taiwan CDC advises childcare center personnel, parents, and schoolchildren to pay attention to personal hygiene and wash hands frequently to effectively decrease the chance of enterovirus infection. In addition, both adults and children should develop good personal hygiene habits, including seeking medical attention immediately when sick, resting at home when sick, and avoiding contact with infants and young children when sick in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission and risk of developing complications and ensure prompt recovery.

According to Taiwan CDC’s surveillance data, thus far this year, coxsackie-virus A6 is the dominant virus strain circulating in the community and enterovirus 71 is comparatively less active. As of August 26, 2013, a total of 8 cases of enterovirus infection with severe complications, resulting in one death in a child, have been confirmed, including 4 cases of EV71, 3 cases of CA6 and 1 case of Echo30. Taiwan CDC continues to closely monitor enterovirus activity.

As enterovirus is highly contagious and the risk of transmission is higher at home and school, including kindergarten, child care centers and student care centers, Taiwan CDC stresses that infants and children aged below 5 are at increased risk of developing enterovirus infection with severe complications and warns that some children develop mild or no symptoms or merely experience influenza-like symptoms, which are not easily distinguished from enterovirus infection, making cases with mild or no symptoms a potential source of enterovirus transmission. As a result, it is imperative that everyone, including adults and children, practices good personal hygiene and washes hands properly and regularly to reduce the risk of transmission. Parents are advised not to bring sick children to crowded public places to reduce the risk of enterovirus transmission. Child care facilities are advised to reinforce the importance of frequent hand washing and good hand washing technique for all children, and clean and disinfect the environment regularly. Taiwan CDC also once again 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 on enterovirus, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-001922 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.