On May 14, 2013, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced this year’s third case of coxsackie A infection with severe complications. The case is a one-year-and-five-month-old boy who resides in eastern Taiwan. In late April, he was diagnosed with herpangina. Later, he developed symptoms associated with enterovirus complications such as frequent myoclonic jerk with rapid heartbeat and high blood pressure. Fortunately, the case sought prompt medical attention at a large hospital. As of now, the case has recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Since enterovirus activity has begun to peak, Taiwan CDC advises the public to take measures to ward off infection, including washing hands thoroughly and frequently, staying at home when sick, seeking medical assistance at a large hospital when prodromal symptoms of severe infection develop.

According to Taiwan CDC’s surveillance data, the recent ER consultation rate for enterovirus infection has continued to stay higher than the epidemic threshold, indicating that enterovirus activity has peaked. At the moment, coxsackie A virus remains the dominant virus strain circulating in the community. Although coxsackie A virus is not as pathogenic as enterovirus 71 and causes only mild symptoms in infected patients, the risk of developing complications remains. Hence, the public is urged to remain vigilant against enterovirus infection.

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 urges both adults and children should develop good personal hygiene habits such as washing hands properly, seeking medical attention immediately when sick, and resting at home when sick in order to reduce the risk of disease 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 once again warns that infants and children aged below 5 are at increased risk of developing enterovirus infection with severe complications. Therefore, when a child below 5 years of age 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 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 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.