The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced that the enterovirus activity continued to increase and the enterovirus epidemic season had begun. According to the surveillance data compiled by Taiwan CDC, coxsackie A virus is currently the dominant strains circulating in the community. Cases of enterovirus 71 infection have also continued to occur and most of them are mild cases.

During Week 19 (May 8 and 14, 2016), the number of visits to outpatient services and ER for enterovirus infection in the nation was 17,000, which is 27.8% up from that reported during the previous week. Moreover, 7 new cases of EV 71 infection have been confirmed in Hualien County (4), Kaohsiung City (2), and Taichung City (1). Thus far this year, as of May 17, 31 cases of EV71 infection, including 25 mild cases, 3 suspected severe cases, and 3 severe cases, have been confirmed in Taipei City, New Taipei City, Yilan County, Taoyuan City, Taichung City, Changhua County, Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County and Hualien County. Additionally, a cumulative total of 44 suspected severe cases of enterovirus infection have been reported. Among them, 3 were found to be infected with EV71, 28 were tested negative for enterovirus, and the test results of 13 cases are still pending.

At the moment, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Macau and Singapore have all reported increasing or high enterovirus activity. In China, the number of the reported EV 71 cases accounts for 57% total of the reported enterovirus cases, which is slightly lower than that reported during the previous 2 weeks, and Hubei Province reported the most cases. In Singapore, this year’s cumulative number of cases reported is 1.3 times higher than the average of the same period during the last 5 years. In Japan, the number of cases reported is low, the lowest compared to the same period in the past 10 years.

Taiwan CDC once again reminds that frequent hand washing is the primary way to prevent enterovirus infection. Therefore, adults who return home from work are advised to change clothes and wash hands with soap and water before coming into contact with children. In addition, please make sure children wash their hands with soap and water thoroughly when returning home and before having their meals in order to prevent infection. When a child in a household is diagnosed with enterovirus infection, parents and child caregivers are urged to refrain the sick child from close contact with other children to prevent further spread of the disease and watch for the development of prodromal symptoms of severe enterovirus infection in the sick child such as drowsiness, disturbed consciousness, inactivity, flaccid paralysis, myoclonic jerk, continuous vomiting, tachypnea, and tachycardia to ensure timely treatment. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).