[Life] Enterovirus Epidemic Continues to Rise Slowly, CDC Estimates Peak in Late June, Not Reaching Epidemic Threshold
bellala 央廣3h ago
The domestic enterovirus epidemic is in its peak season. Zeng Shuhui, spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), stated today (21st) that after the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the epidemic is expected to continue to rise slowly, possibly reaching its peak in late June, but it will not exceed the epidemic threshold of 12,000 outpatient visits per week. She also specifically reminded that the symptoms of enterovirus D68 are atypical, mainly characterized by fever, runny nose, and cough, and urged parents to pay close attention to signs of severe illness. #Interview report by CNA reporter Liu Pin-hsi#
The domestic enterovirus epidemic is slowly rising. According to CDC monitoring data, there were 5,824 outpatient and emergency visits last week, a slight increase of 2.4% compared to the previous week. In addition, there have been a cumulative total of 5 severe cases of enterovirus this year, including 1 death. The severe cases include 3 cases of enterovirus D68, and one each of Coxsackievirus A4 and Coxsackievirus A16.
Taiwan's enterovirus epidemic is facing a double blow from both domestic and international factors. In addition to the continuous rise in the domestic epidemic, the enterovirus epidemic in neighboring countries is also on the rise. Vietnam, China, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong have all seen rapid increases in recent epidemics. Among them, Vietnam's epidemic is severe, with over 34,400 cumulative cases as of April this year, mainly enterovirus 71, which is prone to severe illness. China has accumulated over 280,000 cases as of May this year, and Thailand has accumulated over 13,000 cases to date. The epidemics in South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong have entered a seasonal流行.
Zeng Shuhui, spokesperson for the CDC, stated in an interview with CNA on the 21st that the enterovirus epidemic is expected to continue to rise slowly after the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. However, the scale of this year's epidemic is smaller than last year's. Based on the current upward trend, the epidemic may reach its peak in late June, before the summer vacation, but it will not exceed the epidemic threshold, meaning that weekly outpatient visits will not exceed 12,000. She said: "(Original sound) It does look like a slow rise in the past few weeks. Compared to last year, this year's epidemic is more subdued. However, because it is still the enterovirus season, it is expected to continue to rise slowly before the summer vacation. But we expect that this year it will be less likely to exceed the epidemic threshold, at least before the end of June or early July, it is unlikely to exceed the epidemic threshold."
There have been a cumulative total of 3 severe cases of enterovirus D68 domestically this year. Zeng Shuhui emphasized that the risk of severe illness from enterovirus D68 is second only to enterovirus 71. Since the symptoms of D68 are mainly fever, runny nose, and cough, which are different from the typical symptoms of enterovirus such as herpangina or hand, foot, and mouth disease, parents may initially mistake it for a cold or other respiratory illness. A small number of patients may develop severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis.
Zeng Shuhui reminded that infants and young children under 5 years old are at high risk for severe enterovirus. If any signs of severe enterovirus are found in young children, such as lethargy, confusion, poor vitality, limb weakness, myoclonus, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, or rapid heartbeat, they must be taken to a major hospital for treatment immediately. (Editor: Song Wanyuan)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215734
How does this article make you feel?
0 people reacted