Taiwan last week recorded 245 medical visits for scarlet fever, the highest figure for the period in the past five years, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
"We observed that scarlet fever-related visits in Taiwan began to gradually increase around late November last year, reaching a relatively high point around mid-May this year," CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) told a regular news briefing in Taipei.
Since mid-May, the outbreak has plateaued, with most cases involving children aged three to 12, he added.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
The 245 medical visits for scarlet fever was the highest weekly figure this year and the highest for the period in the past five years, CDC spokesperson Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said.
"Scarlet fever is typically more prevalent in late spring and early summer, so the elevated case numbers during this period are not particularly surprising," he said.
There were also 239 cases in early May, suggesting that Group A Streptococcus — the bacteria responsible for the disease — has continued to spread across Taiwan since then, Lo said.
Weekly visits were often limited to just double digits between 2020 and last year, likely due to COVID-19 prevention measures, Lo said.
Although pediatricians across the country have recently also reported a noticeable increase in scarlet fever cases, patients have generally responded well to antibiotics, "with no signs of the disease becoming particularly severe," he said.
Doctors in Taiwan are well trained in treating scarlet fever with antibiotics, but patients must follow medical instructions closely, as incomplete treatment could lead to antibiotic resistance, Lo said.
Scarlet fever can be difficult to distinguish from enterovirus infections, as they share symptoms such as a fever, sore throat and a widespread rash, he said.
While it is enterovirus season, doctors and the public should exercise extra caution and consider whether symptoms might be related to a Group A Streptococcus infection, he said.
Those infected with scarlet fever should not visit public areas until they have been fever-free for more than 24 hours, the CDC said.
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