Domestic Enterovirus Epidemic Remains High: Parents and Caregivers Urged to Reinforce Hygiene Habits and Ensure Sick Children Stay Home

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that although the season has shifted to winter, enteroviruses can spread year-round. Currently, the domestic enterovirus epidemic remains at a near-decade high for this time of year. Enteroviruses are highly transmissible in densely populated and closely interactive settings, such as households, schools, after-school programs, and daycare centers. The CDC calls on parents and caregivers to continue teaching young children to maintain good personal hygiene, strengthen the practice of proper handwashing, avoid crowded public places during outbreaks, and adhere to the principle of keeping sick children out of school.

According to CDC surveillance data, outpatient and emergency department visits for Week 48 (November 24–30) totaled 26,426, comparable to the previous week (26,648 visits), indicating the epidemic remains at a peak. Visits were primarily among children aged 0–4 years (45.8%), but there has been a recent upward trend in cases among children aged 5–9 years (37.3%) and 10–14 years (10.4%). Laboratory monitoring over the past four weeks shows that Coxsackievirus A16 remains the most common strain, followed by Coxsackievirus A6, Coxsackievirus A2, and Enterovirus D68. The community continues to exhibit activity from other enterovirus strains as well.

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