On June 8, 2015, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced one imported measles case from China in a 16-month-old Chinese boy. On June 1, he developed a mild fever. On the following day, he traveled to Taiwan with his parents and older brother from Hebei Province, China. The case’s father is a pediatrician. On June 3, when the father noticed the case developed rash behind his ears and mucous patches. On June 4, when the case’s fever persisted, the case’s father suspected the case had developed measles. On June 5, the tour guide arranged a reserved car to transfer the case to seek medical attention and the case was hospitalized for treatment in the negative pressure isolation ward. Infection with measles was later confirmed in the case. The case was expected to discharge from the hospital on June 8 and leave for China in the morning of June 9. As the case was exposed to a suspected measles case in China during the exposure period, it is determined that the case is an imported case.

To prevent further transmission of the disease, the health authorities has implemented a number of prevention measures and identified 147 contacts, including his family members, passengers sitting near the case on the same flight, tour group members, hotel and restaurant workers, healthcare personnel and patients that he came into contact with when he sought medical attention, to monitor and follow up until June 23. Currently, none of them has developed suspected symptoms. The public is urged to put on a mask and seek prompt medical attention when suspected symptoms such as fever and rash develop and inform the physician of relevant exposure history.

On the other hand, as of June 7, a total of 19 measles cases associated with the previously reported cluster originated from a duty free shop have been confirmed. The health authority has identified a total 0f 2,715 contacts of the 19 confirmed cases. 2,359 of the contacts have been followed up and 356 of them are being followed up. In addition, more than 80% of the employees working at the same shop have received catch-up MMR vaccination and the others would also be urged to receive the same catch-up vaccination as an attempt to minimize the number of people who might develop the disease. Although no new cases associated with this cluster have been reported since June 3, Taiwan CDC will be following up on the contacts till June 24. Thus far this year, a total of 20 indigenous measles cases and 2 imported measles cases from China have been confirmed in Taiwan. During the same period last year, 16 measles cases were confirmed, including 3 indigenous cases and 13 imported cases (5 imported from the Philippines, 5 imported from China, and 1 each from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Taiwan CDC reminds that vaccination remains the best way to prevent measles. In Taiwan, the existing routine childhood vaccination schedule recommends a dose of MMR vaccine to children 12 months of age and another dose to first graders in elementary schools. Unvaccinated infants and children, those who do not receive vaccine in a timely manner and those who have never been infected with measles are high-risk groups. Parents are urged to ensure timely vaccination of children under one year old and those who have not completed the MMR vaccine series and avoid bringing unvaccinated children to the affected areas in order to prevent infection. Travelers planning to visit affected areas are advised to visit the outpatient travel clinic at 26 contracted hospitals in the nation to determine the need for MMR vaccination 2 to 4 weeks prior to their trip. If symptoms pertaining to measels infection such as fever, fatigue, nasopharyngitis and obviously swollen lymph nodes behind the ears, and generalized irregular papules, joint pain or arthritis develop after returning to Taiwan from affected areas, 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 Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).