Taipei resident contracts measles

A Taiwanese man contracted measles after a recent visit to China, the first overseas measles infection recorded this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.

The patient, a 27-year-old electronic engineer living in Taipei County, was sent to China by his employer from mid-November to Jan. 26, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ting (林頂) said.

Shortly after his return to Taiwan, the man developed a cough and a runny nose on Jan. 30, but did not seek medical treatment until a red rash appeared on Feb. 4, Lin said.

The case was reported to health authorities as a possible case of the measles and test results released yesterday confirmed the diagnosis, Lin said, adding that it was unclear if the man had previously been vaccinated against the disease.

Lin said more than 95 percent of Taiwanese 31 years of age and younger have received measles inoculations, but some people might not develop an immunity to the disease even after receiving the shot.

Taiwan has not recorded any indigenous measles infections for many years, although there have been some overseas infections, the largest number of which originate in China, Lin said.

Of the 10 overseas measles cases recorded last year, five were contracted in China, four in Japan and one in the Philippines, he said.

The 10 victims included two infants who had not reached the statutory age for measles vaccinations, four adults who had never received an inoculation, one who had only received one vaccination dose and three whose inoculation history was unknown, Lin said.

Many of the victims were foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens, Lin said.

In Taiwan, children are given a first dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine when they are between 12 months and 15 months old and the second dose during their first year of elementary school.