The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday announced the first enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) case involving severe complications in Taiwan, involving a two-year-old girl.
The case was confirmed last week after the child was taken to see a doctor after vomiting and developing a fever in the middle of last month.
She was hospitalized after showing symptoms including facial distortions, excessive sleepiness, seizures and unsteadiness.
The girl is still in hospital, the CDC said.
Her family members did not show any symptoms of enterovirus infection, but it said the virus could have been transmitted by an infected person who did not have symptoms.
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said there have only been 31 reported cases of EV-D68 infection in the nation since 2015 and they were sporadic cases with mild symptoms.
“However, unlike enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus, which are more common in Taiwan, EV-D68 infection has caused children in the US to show symptoms of lower-limb paralysis, difficulty breathing or other severe breathing problems,” Lo said.
CDC physician Huang Wan-ting (黃婉婷) said EV71 symptoms include mouth and throat ulcers, rashes and blisters on hands and feet, severe complications of encephalitis or myocarditis, and even death by heart or lung failure.
EV-D68 infection is characterized by symptoms similar to having a cold, such as a runny nose, coughing and a sore throat, while severe cases can cause pneumonia or limb paralysis, Huang said.
While EV71 has caused more deaths, both viruses are highly contagious. The main transmission route is the fecal-oral route and direct contact, she said.
Children under five face higher risk of developing severe complications from enteroviruses infection, so the centers urges parents and teachers to educate children on good hygiene, Lo said.
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