A five-month-old girl who died last week has been confirmed as the nation’s first fatal case of enterovirus in two years, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Monday.
CDC Deputy Director Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said that the girl was initially treated for a cough and excessive mucus on Dec. 22, and was rushed to a hospital on Dec. 30 after she was found without vital signs.
At the hospital, doctors reported her to the CDC as a possible severe enterovirus case, which was confirmed when she was diagnosed with enterovirus D68 on Jan. 6, Chuang said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
While the girl’s vital signs returned while she was being treated at the hospital’s intensive care unit, she showed signs of brain damage and never regained consciousness, and died on Jan. 12, he said.
Chuang also reported that a man in his 30s from northern Taiwan recently became only the fourth adult in the past 25 years to develop severe symptoms from an enterovirus infection.
The man on Dec. 9 developed a fever, muscle weakness and respiratory difficulties, and on Dec. 19 was admitted to a hospital after outpatient care failed to relieve his symptoms.
On Friday, tests confirmed that the man had coxsackievirus A2 — a type of enterovirus — with severe complications, Chuang said, adding that he is in intensive care.
Enterovirus infections have been rising over the past two weeks, ahead of the virus’ typical peak season in the spring, Chuang said.
As enterovirus cases have been relatively rare over the past three years, many two and three-year-old children have never caught it, and might therefore have an “immunity debt” that makes them more vulnerable to infection, Chuang said.
From Jan. 8 to Saturday, emergency rooms and clinics nationwide reported 1,777 enterovirus cases, an increase of 36.8 percent over the previous week, CDC data showed.
“Enterovirus” is a general name for a group of related viruses that typically cause mild common cold and asthma-like symptoms, but can occasionally lead to more serious complications, particularly in young children.
Practicing good hand hygiene can prevent enterovirus infection, but alcohol-based hand disinfectants are not effective against enteroviruses, so washing hands thoroughly with soap is recommended, the CDC said.
People with symptoms should rest at home or seek medical attention, and avoid gatherings during the holiday, it added.
Additional reporting by Lee I-chia
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