TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned Tuesday (May 7) that the country is still in the midst of an enterovirus epidemic, with a 13.4% increase in cases over the past week. The CDC reported 16,240 cases from April 28 to May 4, primarily of the Coxsackie A virus strain.
The CDC noted that while there is a vaccine for the Enterovirus A71 strain, no vaccines are currently available for other strains. As Mother's Day approaches, the CDC urged families to practice good hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus, especially among children. Infants and young children diagnosed with the virus should rest at home to avoid cross-infection.
In addition to the enterovirus, the CDC also reported a rising trend in imported cases of dengue fever, primarily from Southeast Asian countries. Last week, one domestic case and seven imported cases were reported, with the domestic case occurring in Kaohsiung City.
As of May 6, the CDC has recorded 164 domestic dengue fever cases and 77 imported cases this year, higher than the same period from 2020 to 2023. The majority of imported cases were from Indonesia (37 cases), followed by Malaysia (16 cases) and the Maldives (8 cases).
The CDC reminded the public that dengue fever has an incubation period of three to 14 days, and symptoms often appear after returning from abroad. The agency urged those experiencing symptoms such as fever, limb pain, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle pain, or joint pain to seek medical attention promptly and disclose their travel history.