As enterovirus activity in Taiwan remains high and the summer break is here, enterovirus activity is expected to gradually decline. Currently, Coxsackie A virus is the dominant strain circulating in the community. The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) urges parents to pay attention to their personal hygiene and help maintain good personal hygiene for their children. Further, children are advised to participate in more outdoor activities instead of visiting crowded indoor venues to reduce the risk of exposure to suspected patients and enterovirus infection.

On July 5, 2016, Taiwan CDC announced two new cases severe enterovirus infection with severe complications, including a three-year-old girl who resides in New Taipei City and a two-year-old girl who resides in Taichung City, were confirmed last week. Both of them were infected with enterovirus 71 and have recovered and been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment. Thus far this year, a cumulative total of 11 severe cases of enterovirus infection have been reported. Among them, 10 were found to be infected with EV71 and 1 was found to be infected with Coxsackie A5 virus. According to Taiwan CDC’s surveillance data, the overall enterovirus activity in Taiwan has remained high. During Week 26, June 26 and July 2, 2016, the number of visits to outpatient services and ER for enterovirus infection in the nation was 24,968, which is 7% lower than that reported during the previous week. Moreover, 10 new cases of enterovirus 71 infection were confirmed in New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Taichung City, and Hualien County. Thus far this year, as of July 5, 91 cases of EV71 infection, including 75 mild cases, 6 suspected severe cases, and 10 severe cases, have been confirmed. Recently, Hong Kong, South Korea, Macau and China have all reported high levels of enterovirus activity with a higher number of cases reported compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, an outbreak has recently occurred in Okinawa, Japan.

Taiwan CDC once again reminds that as enterovirus is highly contagious, the public is urged to practice good personal hygiene both at home and when outside and wash hands frequently with soap and water. In addition, it is important to lather hands with soap and scrub for at least 20 seconds in order to effectively prevent enterovirus infection. Infants and children are at an increased risk for severe enterovirus infection. When a child 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.

If prodromal symptoms of severe enterovirus infection develop in children such as drowsiness, disturbed consciousness, inactivity, flaccid paralysis, myoclonic jerk, continuous vomiting, tachypnea, and tachycardia, please take the child to a large hospital for medical attention immediately in order to ensure prompt treatment. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).