A 16-month-old Chinese boy traveling with his family in Taiwan has been confirmed as an imported case of measles, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Monday.
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) said the boy, his elder brother and his parents were part of a tour group that arrived on Tuesday last week.
The boy developed a fever on Monday last week and three days later developed rashes behind his ears. The boy’s father, a pediatrician, suspected his son had measles.
The leader of the tour group arranged for the boy to be taken in a special vehicle to a hospital, where the diagnosis was confirmed.
The centers found that 147 people had come into contact with the boy, including his relatives and friends, passengers on the plane, members of the tour group, hotel staff, medical personnel and other patients at the hospital.
The boy was discharged from hospital on Monday after it was confirmed that he was no longer contagious.
He was expected to leave Taiwan with other members of the tour group yesterday, while the centers were continuing to monitor 125 people still in Taiwan who came into contact with the boy.
The centers’ Web site has published a list of the places the boy visited in Taiwan, which include Yehliu (野柳), the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei 101 and Sun Moon Lake.
Chou called on anyone who visited those locations at the same time as the boy to monitor their health for the next 18 days. If they develop fever or a rash, they should wear a mask and avoid using public transportation.
Chou said that a cluster measles infections that occurred at a tax-free shop in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) has nearly ended.
As of Sunday, there were 19 confirmed measles cases, with no new suspected cases reported since Wednesday last week.
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