On April 22, 2010, Taiwan CDC announced the fifth case of EV71 infection with severe complication this year. The patient is a 9-month-old male infant who lives in Kaohsiung County. He experienced symptoms such as fever, drowsiness, myoclonic jerks and acute flaccid paralysis, and was hospitalized on April 11. He is currently stable and receiving treatment in a general hospital ward. His brother who is 2 years old and not attending any school was infected with mild enterovirus infection on April 7, and had recovered. No other family members have suspected symptoms.
According to the surveillance data collected by the RODS system and the outpatient consultation rate over the recent four weeks, the physician consultation rate of enterovirus infection has gradually increased. During the past four week, the emergency room visit rate was 4.09%, which had reached the warning limit (2.73-5.24%). This year, the three most frequently isolated enteroviruses are CA4, CA16, and CA5. Taiwan CDC will continue to closely monitor the epidemic trend of enterovirus infection.
When infants and children are infected with enterovirus, an extensive central nervous system injury may result. In addition, when a child in a household has been infected with mild enterovirus infection such as hand-foot-month disease and herpangina, the second case tends to be a severe infection. Therefore, the public shall pay attention to personal hygiene, wash hands frequently, maintain the cleanness and ventilation of the living environment. Clinical doctors should remain vigilant and ask detailed questions when treating sick children. When the sick children experience the signs or symptoms of a severe infection, they should be carefully handled and referred to other hospitals when necessary for immediate treatment. Taiwan CDC will also continue to reinforce the monitoring and control of enterovirus infection. For any questions or further information on infectious diseases, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline 1922, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at https://www.cdc.gov.tw