Taipei, July 3 (CNA) Two more cases of imported measles have been confirmed in Taiwan, bringing the total number of such cases to 37 since the beginning of the year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Wednesday.
The two cases involved men in their 40s and 20s, respectively, residing in northern Taiwan, who were confirmed to have contracted measles after traveling to China and Thailand.
They developed initial symptoms on June 21 and 27, respectively, before a red rash started spreading all over their bodies on June 28, according to the CDC.
The two men are quarantined at home, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang said.
To date, a total of 202 people believed to have had contact with the two patients, including their relatives and colleagues, have been tracked down, the CDC said. Efforts to locate others who had contact with the men will continue until July 20, it said.
According to CDC statistics, a total of 103 measles cases have been reported in Taiwan so far this year, 66 of which were domestic cases. Among the 37 imported cases, 11 were from Thailand, 10 from Vietnam and six from the Philippines, the CDC said.
Meanwhile, measles has been spreading in neighboring countries, with about 4,900 cases confirmed in Vietnam and 3,400 in Thailand and 1,600 in China, as of mid-June, Chuang said. As of May, 1,600 cases were confirmed in China, while 35,000 confirmed cases had been reported in the Philippines as of mid-May, he added.
In Europe, the biggest outbreak has been in Ukraine where 52,034 cases were reported in the first five months of year, Chuang said. North Macedonia, Romania, France and Poland have each confirmed about 1,000 cases, he said.
In the worst measles outbreak in the United States in decades, some 1,095 cases have been reported so far this year, according to Chuang.
He said the MMR vaccine, which provides immunization against measles, mumps and rubella, is generally not administered before the age of 1, therefore, parents should avoid taking their young children to areas where there has been an outbreak of measles.
If they must travel to such areas with children 6-12 months old, parents should ensure that their kids receive the MMR vaccine before departure, Chuang advised.
Measles is highly contagious and spreads from person to person through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, or by touching an infected surface.
Symptoms may begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose or red and watery eyes. After three to five days, a rash will usually appear, according to the CDC.
