NewsDesk @bactiman63

Dengue fever

Taiwan health officials reported 892 new local cases of dengue fever last week (August 22 to August 28), which include Tainan City (802 cases), Kaohsiung City (34 cases), Yunlin County ( 33 cases), Pingtung County (5 cases), New Taipei City (4 cases), Taipei City (3 cases), Taoyuan City, Hsinchu City, Taichung City and Chiayi County (2 cases each), Hsinchu County, Miaoli County and Changhua County (1 case each).

Taiwan map/CIA

This brings the country total for 2023 to 3,026 local cases. Officials also reported the third local dengue fever death case in this year.

Cases includes: 2,583 in Tainan City, 268 in Yunlin County, 109 in Kaohsiung City, 26 in Pingtung County, Taichung City and Chiayi County. 8 cases each, 5 cases in New Taipei City, 4 cases each in Taipei City and Hsinchu City, 3 cases in Taoyuan City, 2 cases each in Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Changhua County, and Nantou County. Cases have occurred in more than half of the counties and cities nationwide.

In addition, last week there was a new case of mother-to-child vertical infection. The case was a preterm newborn living in a dengue fever-endemic area. On August 22, the case developed a rash on his hands and feet and decreased activity. The diagnosis was confirmed. According to the epidemic investigation by the health unit, the mother of the case continued to have a fever after giving birth on August 8. She went to the doctor on August 9 and reported the diagnosis due to a positive NS1 rapid test. After the Department invited the case treatment team and experts and scholars to discuss, based on the investigation of the case and the mother’s epidemic situation, clinical symptoms and test results, and reviewing relevant literature, the case was judged to be a vertical infection between mother and child. At present, the health of the newborn case is stable and he was discharged from the hospital this morning.

Enterovirus D68

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today the first death due enterovirus infection.

The case was a 10-month-old boy in southern Taiwan. On August 8, the caregiver found him unconscious and not breathing. Heartbeat, after being sent to the hospital, the first aid was ineffective, and he died on the same day. After inspection and review, it was confirmed that he was infected with enterovirus D68 and died of severe illness.

This year, a total of 9 cases of enterovirus infection complicated with severe cases (including 1 death), including 4 cases of Keshaqi A4 type, 2 cases of Keshaqi A6 type, 2 cases of enterovirus D68 type and 1 case of Iraqi virus type 21, All children under the age of 5.

Subscribe to Outbreak News TV on YouTube

According to the monitoring data of the CDC, last week (August 20 to August 26), there were 12,030 outpatient and emergency visits for enterovirus, an increase of 4.6% from the previous week (11,501 visits). 11,000 person-times); laboratory monitoring showed that enteroviruses in the community were dominated by Keshaqi type A, and enterovirus 71, D68 and other types of enteroviruses continued to be active in the community. This week, the school will start school, and special attention should be paid to the risk of transmission among school children and severe precursory symptoms of enterovirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reminded that the recent outbreak of enteroviruses has intensified, and the school day is approaching. In order to prevent the spread of enteroviruses through frequent interactions among schoolchildren, or bring them home with schoolchildren to infect other young children, parents and childcare personnel are reminded to strengthen education for schoolchildren Implement good hygiene concepts such as frequent hand washing with soap and coughing etiquette, and pay attention to the ventilation and cleanliness of the home and study environments; in addition, enteroviruses are highly contagious and are easy to spread between family members. Families with infants and young children under 5 years old should pay more attention Personal hygiene, develop the habit of washing hands correctly and frequently, and frequently disinfect and clean items and toys that children often touch. If young children are diagnosed with enterovirus infection by a doctor, please make sure that they are sick and do not go to class to avoid cross-infection due to contact with other young children.

The CDC emphasizes again that infants and young children under the age of 5 are high-risk groups for severe enterovirus. If they are found to have drowsiness, unconsciousness, poor vitality, weakness or numbness of hands and feet, muscle twitching (unreasonable fright or sudden muscle contraction of the whole body) , persistent vomiting, shortness of breath or rapid heartbeat and other severe precursor symptoms of enterovirus, please send to a large hospital for treatment as soon as possible.