Hospital visits for diarrhea have increased since the Lunar New Year holiday, with norovirus identified in more than 90 percent of the new cases, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, as it also reported two cases of locally acquired mpox, the first of this year.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said there were 142,682 hospital visits for diarrhea last week, about 20 percent higher than the previous two weeks.
In the past four weeks, 127 measles clusters were reported, more than the same period last year, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said, adding that 106 of the clusters, or about 83 percent, were linked to restaurants or hotels.
Photo: CNA
Among the 67 clusters in which pathogens were identified, 94 percent were caused by norovirus, a contagious virus that is more common in winter, Lo said.
Norovirus infection can cause vomiting and diarrhea for one to three days, with other symptoms at times including nausea, fever, headache, stomach cramps and abdominal or muscle pain, the CDC said.
“Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can’t kill noroviruses, so the CDC encourages people to wash their hands often with water and soap, especially when traveling, to prevent norovirus infection,” Lo said, adding that people with weaker immunity should avoid eating undercooked seafood, while people with symptoms of diarrhea or vomiting should avoid handling food and seek medical treatment.
Two new mpox cases were reported last week, the first cases of locally acquired mpox this year, Guo said.
A man in his 30s living in central Taiwan who received the first dose of an mpox vaccine in May last year, but not a second dose, was diagnosed with the disease, as was an unvaccinated man in his 30s living in southern Taiwan, he said.
Seven close contacts have been identified and ordered to monitor their health, he said.
“A single dose of smallpox vaccine offers only about 40 to 80 percent protection against mpox infection, but two doses provide about 90 percent protection, so eligible recipients are encouraged to get fully vaccinated,” he said.
There are still more than 5,200 vials of vaccine available, or about 18,000 doses, and the CDC has ordered 20,000 more vials, or about 70,000 doses, which are expected to arrive next month, Lo said.
Last week there were 112,486 hospital visits for flu-like illness, 39 people had severe flu complications and five people died from flu-related illnesses, while 648 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, Gou said.
Separately, the Taipei Department of Health reported a new imported case of measles.
A foreign national in his 20s who arrived from Malaysia on Tuesday last week had a fever and rashes from Thursday last week, and was diagnosed with measles yesterday, the department said.
It has identified 330 contacts of the man who have been asked to monitor their health until March 9, while people who might have had close contact with the man in public spaces on Tuesday last week should seek medical attention if they develop suspected symptoms of measles, the department said.
The public spaces include AirAsia Flight AK1510 from Malaysia to Taiwan, which landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 10:22am on Tuesday last week; the Taoyuan Airport MRT from the airport’s Terminal 1 to Taipei Main Station between 11:30am and 12:30pm on the same day; and dumpling restaurant chain Bafang Yunji International Co’s (八方雲集) Datong Huating (大同華亭) branch in Taipei’s Datong District (大同) between 1:30pm and 2pm that day, it said.
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