On January 30, 2016, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced this year’s first case of rubella in a 39-year-old female who resides in northern Taiwan. On January 18, she sought medical attention after developing skin rash. When her symptoms persisted and other symptoms such as fever, cough, and swollen neck lymph node, she sought medical attention again on January 20. Infection with rubella was later confirmed in the case. As of now, the case has recovered and been removed from isolation. During the exposure period, she was traveling in Hong Kong.  As a result, it was determined that she is a travel-related case. As the Chinese Lunar New Year is fast approaching, Taiwan CDC reminds the public to pay attention to their own health and take precautions when traveling and visiting relatives during the holiday period. If symptoms develop, please seek prompt medical assistance in order to lower the risk of infection.

During the infectious period from January 11 to 25, 2016, besides taking the flight to return to Taiwan and seeking medical attention, the case stayed at home the majority of the time. To prevent further transmission of the disease, the health authorities has implemented a number of prevention measures and identified 80 contacts, including her family members, passengers sitting in the same and adjacent rows on the same flight, healthcare personnel and patients that she came into contact with when she sought medical attention, to monitor and follow up until February 15. Currently, none of the contacts is pregnant and none has developed any suspected symptoms. As some of her contacts are foreign nationals who have departed from Taiwan, Taiwan CDC has notified the countries where these nationals are from through the National IHR Focal Point.

Last year, a total of 7 rubella cases were confirmed in Taiwan, including 4 imported cases (2 from China, 1 from Vietnam, and 1 from an unknown origin) and 3 indigenous cases. During the same period last year, a total of 4 rubella cases, which were all imported (two from China, one from Malaysia, and one from the Philippines), were confirmed. As 95% of the citizens in Taiwan have had the infection or been vaccinated against the disease and most infected individuals experience mild symptoms, the public does not need to panic over the case. However, if a pregnant woman who has no rubella antibodies becomes infected with rubella during early pregnancy, there is a chance she will pass the infection to her unborn child and a chance that the child will develop congenital rubella syndrome, resulting in fetal death, miscarriage or birth defects such as deafness, glaucoma, cataract, microcephaly, intellectual disability, heart disease and even death. Women of child-bearing age who are tested negative for rubella antibody during the pre-marital medical examination can receive a free dose of MMR vaccine when presenting the negative rubella antibody result at the local health station or a contracted hospital.

Taiwan CDC advises travelers determine the need for rubella vaccination 2 to 4 weeks prior to their trip. In addition, Taiwan CDC reminds travelers visiting affected areas to heighten vigilance, pay attention to personal hygiene, wash hands frequently, avoid touching mouth and nose, and wearing a mask while visiting crowded places. If symptoms pertaining to rubella infection such as fever, fatigue, nasopharyngitis and obviously swollen lymph nodes behind the ears develop and are accompanied by generalized irregular papules, joint pain or arthritis, please put on a mask, seek immediate medical attention, and voluntarily inform the physician of relevant travel and exposure history. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).