The First Indigenous Hantavirus Case, Yilan County, 2019

DOI: 10.6525/TEB.202112_37(24).0001

Ming-Ching Liu^1*, Yu-Ju Lin¹, Mei-Ling Liu¹, Yu-Hsia Hsu², Hsiao-Ping Tung¹, Nai-Wei Hsu², Jui-Wei Hsieh¹

2021 Vol.37 NO.24

Correspondence Author： Ming-Ching Liu^1*

Abstract：

        On August 2019, a 25-year-old foreign fishing crew from Indonesia was reported by a hospital in Yilan county as a suspect case of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). He had early symptoms of fever, diarrhea, and vomiting, followed by complications of acute renal failure and was soon transferred to the intensive care unit. The blood samples tested for HFRS was conducted by Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and the case was confirmed with positive hantavirus antibodies. The case was hospitalized for two weeks and was the first indigenous hantavirus case in Yilan county. The health bureau immediately activated prevention control measures at the port and its surrounding community. Working environment of the case on the fishing boat was messy and greasy. One caught rat (Rattus norvegicus) was positive for hantavirus antibody, which indicated that the fishing boat could be the source of infection. However, infection could also occur in the community because foreign fishing crews were allowed to enter the community. Therefore, we recommended that the local authority should establish a risk management mechanism with current prevention and control procedures to eliminate the rodent population and rodent infestation in domestic ports.