On August 6, 2013, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced this year’s second indigenous measles case confirmed in a 25-year-old male who resides in northern Taiwan. On July 29, he sought medical attention at a clinic when he developed cough and runny nose. On July 30, he developed rashes. On August 2, when his symptoms persisted, he sought further medical attention at the emergency department of a hospital and was reported to the health authority as a confirmed measles case. As of now, the case has recovered. To prevent further spread of the disease, the health authorities has implemented a number of prevention measures and compiled a list of 148 contacts to monitor and follow up. Currently, none of the contacts has developed any suspected symptoms.

Taiwan CDC points out that as there are still ongoing outbreaks in neighboring countries such as China and countries in Southeast Asia, imported cases of measles are inevitable due to frequent international travel. Taiwan CDC stresses again that the best way to prevent measles is vaccination. 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, including those who do not receive vaccine in a timely manner and those who have never been infected with measles, are high-risk groups. Taiwan CDC once again reminds parents the importance of timely vaccination for children. In addition, Taiwan CDC states that protective immunity acquired during childhood decreases with age. Hence, high risk populations such as people aged between 18 and 30 who work in college and university, military, medical institutions, and child caring and educational institutions are recommended to receive the MMR vaccine two to four weeks prior to visiting areas affected by measles. 

Measles is a highly infectious respiratory disease that is spread by contact with droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of an infected person, either directly or through aerosol transmission. A person with measles is contagious from 4 days before until 4 days after the rash appears. Over the recent years, the MMR vaccination coverage rate remains over 95% nationally in Taiwan. Nevertheless, according to the surveillance data compiled by Taiwan CDC, over the recent years, about ten to several tens of measles cases are reported in Taiwan each year and a number of nosocomial clusters had occurred due to imported cases. Hence, Taiwan CDC reminds the public to seek immediate medical attention when symptoms such as fever, coryza, conjunctivitis and rash develop. Taiwan CDC urges physicians to stay vigilant and report suspected cases to the health authority as soon as possible and isolate the cases when necessary in order to prevent the further spread of measles. For any questions or further information, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-024582 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.