To reduce the risk of Ebola transmission in Taiwan, since October 21, 2014, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) has requested relevant organizations and airline companies to distribute the “Ebola Declaration Form”, which is a travel history declaration form for Ebola screening, on board all flights arriving in Taiwan from Europe and Dubai. As of November 3, Taiwan CDC has received a total of 13,555 completed forms. Among the incoming passengers who submitted the form, two travelers reported having visited the Ebola-affected country. One of them is a Taiwanese business woman. She departed from Guinea on October 18 and arrived in Taiwan on October 25. The other passenger is a foreign national who visited Guinea during October 8 and 23. Both passengers did not experience any symptoms when they arrived in Taiwan and both had not been exposed to Ebola patients. After they arrived, they have been taking their temperatures twice daily. As of now, they are both in good health. They will respectively complete their 21-day monitoring period on November 8 and 13. Furthermore, a foreign businessman who has visited the Ebola-affected countries is planning to visit Taiwan recently has asked his friend to report himself to Taiwan CDC prior to his arrival through the Taiwan CDC’s toll-free hotline, 1922, and inquire what prevention measures he needs to take according to the relevant regulations in Taiwan. Taiwan CDC greatly appreciates the aforementioned three passengers’ efforts in voluntarily reporting their relevant travel history and their cooperation in completing the 21-day monitoring period. Taiwan CDC once again urges all travelers arriving in Taiwan from Europe and Dubai to fill out the Ebola Declaration Form truthfully and report to the quarantine station at the airport voluntarily. If suspected symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea or rash develop, please call the toll-free hotline 1922(or 0800-001922) for assistance in seeking medical attention in order to ensure the health and well-being of all.

On October 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that a cumulative total of 13,567 case of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 4,951 deaths, had been reported in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, the United States of America and Spain. The Ebola mortality rate is approximately 70%. The transmission of Ebola continues to occur among healthcare workers in the Ebola-affected areas. As of October 29, a total of 523 healthcare workers have been infected with EVD and 269 have died. Ebola outbreaks remain rampant in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as cases continue to increase. In addition, WHO also announced that the rate of new Ebola cases reported in Liberia at the treatment centers had appeared to be slowing. Nonetheless, further laboratory results are needed to confirm the trend. On the other hand, no new cases have been reported in Mali, Spain and the U.S and some contacts have completed their 21-day monitoring period.

Taiwan CDC recommends the public to avoid all nonessential travel to Ebola-affected areas in West Africa. If you must travel to an area with an Ebola outbreak, protect yourself by taking the following measures. Avoid visiting hospitals and direct contact with patients. Travelers are urged to monitor their own health for 21 days after their return to Taiwan. On the other hand, physicians are advised to stay vigilant for suspected cases, inquire about such patients’ travel history, and notify the health authority immediately of any suspected cases to facilitate implementation of subsequent measures such as following relevant infection control and prevention guidelines closely, case reporting, specimen collection, isolation of patients, and placing contacts in quarantine in order to prevent further transmission of the disease. Health-care workers should always take standard precautions when caring for patients, regardless of their presumed diagnosis. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (to block splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe burial practices. Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus should apply extra infection control measures to prevent contact with the patient’s blood and body fluids and contaminated surfaces or materials such as clothing and bedding. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at: www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).