TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 疾管署) reported a decline in the enterovirus outbreak on Tuesday (Dec. 17), though the country remains in the epidemic phase. The CDC expects the epidemic to subside by mid to late January, warning parents to ensure children wash their hands correctly with soap amid the cold weather.
CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) highlighted during a weekly briefing that outpatient and emergency visits from Dec. 8-14 totaled 17,508, marking a 21.4% decrease from the previous week's 22,279 visits. Despite the decline, the epidemic remains at its highest level in a decade for this period. Tseng called for vigilance regarding severe symptoms in children.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) noted that laboratory monitoring over the past four weeks showed coxsackievirus A16 as the most prevalent, followed by A6, A2, and enterovirus D68. This year, Taiwan has recorded eight severe enterovirus cases, including three with coxsackievirus A2, two with A10, and one each with A16, B3, and B4.
The CDC urged parents and caregivers to teach children the five steps of proper handwashing with soap, especially before eating, playing with infants, blowing their noses, using the restroom, and visiting the doctor. The CDC emphasized that except for enterovirus A71, no vaccines are available for other types. They advised maintaining good hygiene, ensuring ventilation and cleanliness in homes and schools, and avoiding crowded public places to prevent further spread.
