According to the surveillance data compiled by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), enterovirus activity has been on a steady decline after reaching its peak in mid-July this year. Nevertheless, enterovirus 71 remains the dominant virus strain circulating in the community. As schools at all levels are reopening, increased interaction among schoolchildren after schools reopen will likely increase the transmission of enterovirus at home and at school. Hence, Taiwan CDC advises school teachers, childcare center personnel, parents, and schoolchildren to pay attention to personal hygiene and wash hands frequently to effectively decrease the chance of enterovirus infection. The next two weeks will determine whether the epidemic will reverse. 

Taiwan CDC announced four new cases of enterovirus 71 infection with severe complications. The cases are a one-month-old boy and a one-year-old boy who reside in northern Taiwan, a one-year-and-four-month-old boy who resides in central Taiwan, and a seven-year-old girl who resides in southern Taiwan. All four cases have recovered and been discharged from the hospital. As of September 3, a cumulative total of 143 cases of enterovirus infection with severe complications have been reported this year. Of the cases, 140 were infected with enterovirus 71, including two deaths. 

Taiwan CDC once again warns that enterovirus is highly contagious and the risk of transmission is higher at home and school, including kindergarten, child care centers and student care centers. Hence, Taiwan CDC would like to remind the public to pay attention to personal and child hygiene and wash hands frequently to effectively decrease the chance of enterovirus infection. 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 and visiting crowded places when sick in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission and risk of developing complications and ensure prompt recovery. 

Therefore, when a child in a household is diagnosed with enterovirus infection, parents are urged to pay close attention to the symptoms of the sick child. Once 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 immediately in order to ensure prompt treatment. 

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