On May 27, 2015, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) invited the commanders from the six regions of the Communicable Disease Control Medical Network to discuss the MERS-CoV cases in South Korea and Taiwan’s current preparedness and response measures. The commanders all agreed that since the recent MERS-CoV occurrence in Korea happened among contacts with its first MERS case and no widespread occurrence of the disease within the community has been identified, the spread of the disease remains limited in Korea. Hence, they decided it would be inappropriate to raise the travel notice level for Korea at this time and suggested close monitoring of any potential spread of the disease into community settings in the country.

In addition, the commanders also pointed out that the risk for MERS-CoV infection remains the highest in the Middle East. Travelers planning to visit countries in the region are urged to pay attention to personal hygiene, respiratory protection and hand cleanliness and avoid visiting any farms and all direct contact with camels, including drinking un-pasteurized camel milk, to reduce the risk of infection. On the other hand, travelers planning to visit Korea are recommended to avoid visiting hospitals and reinforce hand hygiene by washing hands frequently throughout the trip. Physicians are advised to stay vigilant for suspected cases and be sure to inquire travel history in order to ensure prompt diagnosis and subsequent implementation of the relevant prevention and control measures.

Taiwan CDC decided to send medical officers to South Korea the soonest on May 28, 2015 to gain a better understanding of the development of the MERS-CoV occurrence and obtain first-hand information on Korea’s preparedness and response plan, which would serve as a reference for formulating Taiwan’s preparedness and response measures for the disease. The medical officers had also arranged to meet with the Taiwanese people residing in Korea to answer their questions about the disease as well as teach them the correct prevention measures to ward off infection.

Taiwan CDC urges the public to call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922) when feeling unwell and suspected of suffering from a communicable disease after returning from overseas, be sure to follow the hotline operator’s instructions while seeking medical assistance and inform the physician of relevant travel and exposure history.