On February 8, 2013, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced the first imported case of measles confirmed this year. The case is an 8-month-old baby girl who resides in southern Taiwan. During November, 2012, she traveled to China with her mother to visit relatives. At the end of January, 2013, she began to develop suspected symptoms pertaining to measles, including fever and rashes. When she returned to Taiwan on February 2, 2013, she was detected with having a fever by the fever screening system at the airport. Immediately, she was reported to the health authority, rushed to a hospital, and isolated for treatment. On February 8, 2013, measles was confirmed in the case by Taiwan CDC. Currently, the case is still in recovery. Since the case was still infectious on her flight back to Taiwan, the health authority has compiled a list of contacts, including passengers on the same flight, hospital patients, and medical personnel at the hospital, to monitor their health and administer follow up activities such as post-exposure prophylaxis. As of now, none of the contacts has developed suspected symptoms.

According to surveillance data, the number of measles cases confirmed in China in January, 2013 is 1,501, hitting a record high since May, 2011. The case number reported in January, 2013 not only doubles that in December, 2012, but also shows more than a three and half fold increase when compared to that during the same period in 2012.

Measles is a highly infectious respiratory disease that is spread by contact with droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of an infected person, either directly or through aerosol transmission. An infected person remains infectious four days before and after the development of rashes. Early symptoms include fever (over 38℃), coryza, cough, and conjunctivitis. Rash usually starts from behind the ears and spread to the face and down across the body. Since the implementation of the Measles, Congenital Rubella Syndrome, Poliomyelitis and Neonatal Tetanus Eradication Program decades ago, approximately some tens of measles cases, which are mostly imported cases and cases that become infected by the imported case, occur annually. Taiwan CDC points out that as there are still ongoing outbreaks in neighboring countries such as China and countries in Southeast Asia and outbreaks have also occurred in the regions of Americas and Europe, imported cases of measles are inevitable due to frequent international travel. In addition, Taiwan CDC reminds the public to seek immediate medical attention when sick and avoid going to work or school or taking public transportation to reduce further transmission.

The best way to prevent measles is vaccination. In Taiwan, the existing routine childhood vaccination schedule recommends a dose of MMR vaccine to children 12 months of age and another dose to first graders in elementary schools. Unvaccinated infants and children, those who do not receive vaccine in a timely manner and those who have never been infected with measles are high-risk groups. Taiwan CDC once again reminds parents the importance of timely vaccination for children. Moreover, parents are advised against bringing children below the age of one or those who have not received the MMR vaccine to areas affected by measles. People aged between 18 and 30 who work in college and university, military, medical institutions, and child caring and educational institutions are recommended to receive the MMR vaccine two weeks prior to visiting areas affected by measles. Taiwan CDC also urges physicians to stay vigilant. If a patient develops symptoms pertaining to measles infection such as fever and rash, the physician should consider the patient’s recent travel history and vaccination history when diagnosing and report any suspected cases to the health authority as soon as possible. In addition, people who return from endemic areas and seek medical attention should inform the physician of their recent travel history to facilitate diagnosis and prompt treatment.

For any questions or further information, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-024582 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.