As the weather gradually turns warmer, the enterovirus season is about to start. To promote hand hygiene and the ways to prevent enterovirus infection, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) collaborated with the Benesse Corp. Taipei Branch to jointly host a press conference at the Taipei MRT Daan Forest Park Station on May 14, 2018. The topic of the press conference was "Little Handwashing Kings against Enteroviruses". In addition to the children’s favorite cartoon idol, “Shimajiro”, Taiwan CDC unveiled a special animation video in which the Taiwan CDC mascot and Shimajiro taught the children how to wash their hands and keep enteroviruses away. Through the vividly interesting contents, the concept of hand hygiene was delivered to the young audience, urging them to join the efforts to prevent enteroviruses. In addition, the Taiwan CDC mascot and Shimajiro also sang the handwashing song and danced with some 50 children.

At the press conference, the Taiwan CDC Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) gave special thanks to the Benesse Corp. Taipei Branch for helping the government to promote the prevention of infectious diseases and safeguard the children's health. During the event, the Taiwan CDC mascot and Shimajiro interacted with the children through singing and dancing to the handwashing song. At the same time, they taught the children the 5 key moments for washing hands with soap and water, including "before eating, before playing with younger babies, after using the toilet, after blowing your nose, and before and after visiting the doctor.

In addition, to promote proper handwashing techniques among children and caregivers, the Benesse Corp. Taipei Branch has specially hosted an online video contest. To enter the competition, kindergarten teachers only have to film a video in which the students are singing and dancing to the handwashing song and upload it to the website for the contest. In the final stage, the panel will choose four most creative videos from the four regions of Taiwan, including the northern, central, eastern and southern Taiwan, respectively. Shimajiro will then visit the four kindergartens, interact with the children, sing and dance to the handwashing song with the students, and promote the tips for enterovirus prevention. The general public is also encouraged to film a video of young children singing and dancing to the handwashing song at home and upload the video to the website to participate in the contest. For more details, please visit the Benesse official website (http://www.benesse.com.tw/html/events/video/).

Taiwan CDC once again reminds the public that enteroviruses are primarily transmitted through the fecal-oral route, respiratory droplets spread by sneezing and coughing, and direct contact with saliva and excretions from infected individuals as well as contaminated food and water. The most effective ways to ward off enteroviruses are to practice good hand hygiene and cough etiquette, avoid visiting crowded public places, and rest at home when sick. When a child in a household develops symptoms of complications 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 https://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).