The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday urged child caregivers to practice good hygiene, as it reported that hospital visits for enterovirus infection increased by 16.5 percent last week and that the number of mpox cases so far this year has doubled from the same period last year, advising people in high-risk groups to get vaccinated.
There were 3,526 hospital visits for enterovirus infection from April 12 to Saturday last week, and the number is expected to increase in the coming weeks, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said.
Coxsackievirus A6 is the most common enterovirus spreading in local communities, followed by coxsackievirus A4 and coxsackievirus A16, Lee said.
Photo: Hsu Li-chuan, Taipei Times
Four severe cases have been reported this year — two infected with enterovirus D68, and one each with coxsackievirus A4 and coxsackievirus A16, she said, adding that one of the people died.
Enterovirus activity in nearby countries is still at low levels, except for Vietnam, where more than 26,000 cases had been reported this year as of Tuesday last week, she said, adding that Vietnam has also reported eight deaths, and 99 percent of the cases were children aged 10 or younger.
Although adults infected with enterovirus often experience no or very mild symptoms, they can transmit the virus to children who have higher risk of developing severe complications, so caregivers should practice good personal hygiene, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said.
“Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have very limited effectiveness against enteroviruses, so we still recommend washing hands with soap frequently, especially before eating and after using the toilet,” she said.
The CDC also recommends eating a balanced diet and getting sufficient sleep for better immunity, resting at home when experiencing respiratory symptoms, maintaining a clean and ventilated living environment, and disinfecting toys with diluted bleach regularly to reduce the risk of infection, she added.
The CDC expects enterovirus activity to enter an epidemic period in early June and reach its peak in late June, Tseng said, urging family members or caregivers of young children to pay attention to signs of severe illness and seek medical attention.
Meanwhile, two local cases of mpox were reported last week in two men in their 30s and 40s, who were unvaccinated and said that they have had sexual activity with partners of the opposite sex last month, seeking treatment for symptoms including rashes, blisters and fever, Lee said.
A total of 12 mpox cases — including an imported case — have been reported this year, which is twice the number of cases in the same period last year, she said.
The 12 cases were all men aged 25 to 50, and contact tracing found that all of them had engaged in unsafe sex with partners they met online or at commercial venues, and about 80 percent did not get vaccinated, Tseng said.
The incubation period of mpox can be as long as 21 days, and it can be transmitted one to four days before symptoms appear, the CDC said, adding that getting fully vaccinated gives the best protection against infection, and there are 312 healthcare facilities nationwide providing government-funded free mpox vaccines.
The CDC also reported a new case of measles in a foreign student who arrived in Taiwan late last month, and began experiencing a fever, sore throat and rashes earlier this month.
The local health department has identified 162 people who have had close contact with the student, and they have been asked to monitor their health and watch for symptoms until Friday next week, it said.
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