On April 15, 2011, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced this year’s first imported case of cholera in Taiwan. The case is a 29-year-old female who resides in the southern part of Taiwan. During March 27 to March 30, 2011, she visited Sabah, Malaysia.Upon her return to Taiwan on March 30, she developed abdominal bloating, vomiting and painless diarrhea at night. On April 1, she sought medical assistance. On April 12, cholera was confirmed in the case by Taiwan CDC. As of now, the case’s symptoms have subsided and discharged after hospitalization for treatment. According to the epidemiological investigation conducted by the health authority, she ate grilled fish and shrimp on a local beach, which could have been the likely source of transmission. At the time of writing, her five travel companions and two family members who live in the same household with the case did not present any symptoms. The health authority has continued to monitor.
According to the global surveillance data this year, the cholera outbreak that occurred in Limbang, Malaysia has affected 111 people and 2 in serious condition; and the cholera outbreak in Palawan, the Philippines has been rampant, resulting in more than 400 people hospitalized. In addition, cholera outbreaks have occurred in Cameroon , Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Taiwan CDC advises travelers visiting cholera-prone areas with poor sanitation such as Africa, Central and South America and Southeast Asia to take precautions against cholera to reduce the risk of infection.
Cholera is an acute bacterial enteric disease with sudden onset of profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, rapid loss of body fluids that leads to dehydration, acidosis, and circulatory collapse. The incubation period can vary from a few hours to five days with an average of 2-3 days. Transmission of cholera typically occurs by eating food or drinking water that is contaminated with the feces of an infected person or carrier. The onset of cholera is related to the number of bacteria ingested and the host immunity.
In light of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japane, some Taiwanese people have chosen to change their travel destination to Southeast Asia or some other country. Taiwan CDC would like to remind travelers visiting areas affected by cholera to eat only well-cooked food, avoid raw food, especially shellfish, and drink only bottled or boiled water. Travelers are also advised to pay attention to their health. If they feel ill and experience symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, watery diarrhea upon arrival at the airport, they should inform the quarantine personnel at the airport and fill out the Communicable Disease Survey Form. If suspected symptoms develop within one week of returning home, the infection is likely to have occurred abroad, please seek medical attention immediately and inform the physician of the recent travel history to facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment. For more information on cholera, please visit the Taiwan CDC’s website: http://ww.cdc.gov.tw/ or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922.