Measles Cluster in Tainan Area, Early 2009

Huei-Jhen Lin1, Hsien-Ya Chiu1, Chiao-Wen Lin1, Chun-Mei Kao1, Wan-Ching Chen2, Ming-Chun Hsieh2, Yi-Chun Wu1

2010 Vol.26 NO.1

Correspondence Author: Huei-Jhen Lin

Abstract:

Abstract

Late February to early March, 2009, the public health authorities in Tainan City and Tainan County were informed that suspected measles cases were found in some hospitals. In order to clarify the extent of the disease and the source of infection, Taiwan CDC involved in the investigation and found that this was a measles cluster and the infection origin was a girl less than 1-year old who was infected while visiting Vietnam with her mother and returned to Taiwan. Two series of nosocomial infections in Emergency section was erupted when the girl visited the hospital, including 2 medical staffers and 5 other people. In addition, one of the girl’s classmates in the preschool was also infected. The possible causes of the dissemination of this disease were: 1. an un-vaccinated child visited a measles epidemic area; 2. difficulty in early diagnosis and isolation procedure due to rareness of indigenous measles case in Taiwan; 3. measles vaccine was not given to some due age child on time. Measles cases are decreasing during these years in Taiwan. However, international communication with measles epidemic areas, such as China and countries in South-Eastern Asia, is increasing and so the risk of importing measles cases. The public health authorities should maintain an age appropriate coverage greater than 95% in measles vaccination for children and inform the general public of vaccination examination before visiting epidemic areas. Furthermore, to enhance disease diagnosis and timely report by medical staffs and to reinforce the control procedure for nosocomial infection are very important to achieve the goal of measles elimination project.