The Ministry of Education on Wednesday said that most schools are adopting the “7-2-7” model as a criteria for suspending classes amid a warning of a major outbreak of enterovirus 71 (EV71) this year.
Under the “7-2-7” model, if two students in one class are infected with enterovirus 71 within seven days, the class is to be suspended for seven days.
Department of Overall Planning Deputy Director Hsieh Shu-chen (謝淑貞) said that most schools have adopted the criteria, which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Classes should be suspended if necessary to avoid large-scale infections and schools can make up for lost classes later, Hsieh said.
The ministry reminded students to wash their hands and develop good personal hygiene habits. They were also advised to stay at home if they are sick.
If children develop fever, chills and rashes around the hands, feet and mouth, they should seek medical advice.
The ministry is on full alert after the CDC issued a formal warning on Tuesday that there could be an outbreak of EV71 this year after a hiatus of four years.
The CDC said that as EV71 is linked to severe complications, and no specific treatment or vaccine is available, parents should be observant.
EV71 is a common cause of hand-foot-and-mouth disease among infants and children and is associated with fatal neurological illness.
The disease could start to escalate later this month and peak in May or June in the first stage before waning over the summer vacation period, then picking up momentum in September when schools reopen.
Taiwan first had an EV71 outbreak in 2008 and again in 2012. Of 149 cases in 2012, two developed into severe cases resulting in death.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Liu Ting-ping (劉定萍) said that because it has been three years since the last epidemic and many children aged under three have never been infected with the virus, a major epidemic is likely to occur this year.
Since the second half of last year, 25 cases of EV71 infection have been reported in Taiwan, including four cases recorded in the first two months of this year, she said, adding that none of the patients developed severe complications.
CDC data showed that patients who sought treatment for enterovirus infection at hospital emergency rooms accounted for 0.1 percent of emergency room cases last week.
Coxsackie A virus is currently the dominant virus strain circulating around the nation, the CDC said.
The CDC said that last year a total of six cases of enterovirus infection with severe complications were confirmed, including three patients with Coxsackie virus B5, two with Coxsackie virus A16 and one with echovirus 3.
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