The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday announced the nation’s first domestic cases of meningococcal meningitis and whooping cough this year in children from northern Taiwan.
The four-year-old girl with meningococcal meningitis is still being treated in hospital and 19 contacts have been identified, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.
The girl developed a cough and stuffy nose earlier this month, which worsened a week later, Lin said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
She later also experienced a fever, vomiting and fatigue that did not improve after numerous doctors’ visits, he said.
She was admitted to intensive care after developing purple spots on her limbs on Wednesday last week, and on the same day experienced convulsions and changes in consciousness, he said.
Her infection with the form of bacterial meningitis was confirmed on Friday last week, and she was moved to pediatric care after her condition stabilized, Lin added.
None of her 19 contacts have expressed any symptoms and have been given preventative medication, he said, adding that local governments are monitoring their health.
Meningococcal meningitis is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis and causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can be fatal or cause serious long-term conditions if untreated, but can be vaccinated against.
There were one to 12 cases confirmed annually from 2015 to last year, 33 percent of whom were between 25 and 64 years old, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said.
The bacteria is transmitted through droplets from close and prolonged contact with infected carriers, who may be asymptomatic, Lin said.
Few of those who are infected become sick, with the immunocompromised most vulnerable, he said.
Meanwhile, the one-month-old boy with whooping cough has already been treated and released from hospital, the CDC said.
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