TAIPEI (TVBS News) — TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 疾管署) expects the nationwide enterovirus epidemic to decline by the end of September, though it will likely remain above the epidemic threshold until mid-to-late October.
The CDC also warned that the epidemic’s peak may persist longer in southern Taiwan than in the northern regions. Mid-Autumn Festival gatherings could further increase the risk of transmission and lead to cluster infections.
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) made these predictions on Wednesday (Sept. 18), acknowledging the current rise in enterovirus cases
CDC monitoring data shows that from Sept. 8 to Sept. 14, there were 140,598 outpatient and emergency visits, a slight increase of 0.7% from the previous week, indicating a plateau phase.
CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) noted that last week saw one new mild case of enterovirus D68 involving an 18-year-old woman in northern Taiwan who is recovering well.
This year, there have been five severe cases of enterovirus infection, including three cases of Coxsackievirus A2 and two cases of Coxsackievirus A10, with four of the cases involving infants under one year old.
The CDC emphasizes that the most effective prevention methods are proper handwashing, maintaining good hygiene, and changing clothes immediately after returning home.
Before hugging or feeding infants, caregivers should wash their hands with soap and thoroughly clean the environment.
The CDC also stresses that children under five are at high risk for severe enterovirus complications, which can develop rapidly. Parents should watch for early signs of severe illness if a doctor diagnoses their child with enterovirus.
