Experts talk enterovirus as CDC braces for epidemic

VULNERABLE GROUP: Children under the age of two are especially at risk of catching enterovirus, and the best way to protect them is vaccination, a medical expert said

Experts yesterday discussed enterovirus trends after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said there would likely be an enterovirus epidemic — defined as 11,000 hospital visits per week — by the end of this month.

For the week from April 7 to April 13, there were 9,256 hospital visits for enterovirus, the most recorded over the same period in nearly 10 years, CDC data published on Monday last week showed.

Based on those figures and this year’s enterovirus infection trend, Taiwan is expected to have an enterovirus epidemic at the end of this month, the CDC said.

Former Taiwan Pediatric Infectious Disease Alliance president Chiu Nan-chang (邱南昌) yesterday said that enterovirus infections are most common in summer, with case numbers typically increasing in April, peaking in June and decreasing in July and August over the summer break.

Another wave usually starts when schools open in September, he said.

In Taiwan, there seems to be a nationwide enterovirus epidemic every three to five years, but there has not been one for the past five years due to the COVD-19 pandemic, Chiu said.

With outdoor temperatures rising earlier this year, the number of enterovirus cases has been higher than in previous years, he added.

Of particular concern is the enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain, as it can cause severe complications, including encephalitis, cardiorespiratory failure and acute flaccid paralysis, Chiu said.

Peng Chun-chih (彭純芝), an expert from the Formosan Medical Association, said that children under the age of two are especially at risk of catching enterovirus and are more prone to serious complications and death.

On of the best ways to protect them is to get them vaccinated, she said.

Two vaccines have been approved for enterovirus A71 in Taiwan, both of which are suitable for infants who are more than two months old and under the age of six, according to the CDC.