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CDC confirms ninth victim in virus outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed yesterday another death in the enterovirus outbreak, bringing to nine the number of fatalities from the viral infection so far this year.

The latest victim was a four-month-old girl in Yunlin County, who was hospitalized on June 17, one day after she displayed symptoms typical of enterovirus infection, including fever, hand-foot-and-mouth syndrome and vomiting, CDC Deputy Director-General Chou Chih-hau (周志浩) said.

The baby’s condition worsened abruptly last Friday when she developed severe complications such as jerky limb movements, a rapid heartbeat and pulmonary hemorrhaging, followed by reduced heartbeat and difficulty breathing, Chou said. The child died the same day despite three hours of emergency treatment, he said.

The results of specimen tests indicated that the infant was infected with enterovirus type 71 (EV71), Chou said.

Chou said the baby may have contracted the virus from other children who had visited her family’s home.

So far this year 260 cases of severe enterovirus infection have been identified nationwide. In addition to the nine fatalities, 32 people are still hospitalized, he said.

The CDC said almost all serious enterovirus cases this year have been caused by EV71, which is the deadliest type of enterovirus. Most of those infected were under the age of five.

To deal with the outbreak, the CDC recently issued a directive stipulating that kindergartens, day-care centers and elementary schools must suspend classes for 10 days if two or more enterovirus infections are reported in the same class within one week.

Enteroviruses are the most common cause of aseptic meningitis and can be deadly, especially in infants.

In 1998, Taiwan experienced a severe outbreak of EV71, with 405 children infected, 78 of whom died. Another EV71 outbreak in 2005 saw 145 children infected, 15 of whom died.
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