CDC issues Level 1 travel advisory for Vietnam after man gets measles

Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) A Taiwanese man came down with the measles after traveling in Vietnam in mid-September, prompting the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to issue a Level One travel advisory for the Southeast Asian country.

According to the CDC, the travel advice for a Level One destination would be to "practice usual precautions."

For Level Two countries, travelers are advised to "practice enhanced precautions" while travelers should "avoid nonessential travel" to Level Three destinations.

The CDC said in a news release on Tuesday that the man in his 30s was in Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island between Sep. 14 and 18.

After returning to Taiwan, he developed symptoms including fever, a cough, a sore throat and diarrhea between Sept. 23-29, with red rashes breaking out on Sept. 29.

The man tested positive for measles and was quarantined. He was discharged on Oct. 5 after being treated, the news release said.

One hundred and fifty-four people who came in contact with the man before he was quarantined have been identified, including nine family members and 145 others. These individuals will be under observation until Oct. 17, according to the CDC.

The number of measles cases has been on the rise globally this year, the CDC said. For example, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City reported 644 cases from Jan. 1 to Sept. 3, a drastic increase from only one case between 2021-2024.

The CDC reminded the public that measles are highly contagious and can spread between individuals up to four days before an infected person breaks out in rashes.

The agency also recommended parents take children aged 1 year old and over to get vaccinated.

The CDC said that there have been 12 measles cases in Taiwan so far this year, with the ages of the patients ranging from 20-50. This figure is significantly higher than the number of cases reported over the past three years, which did not exceed two cases in any single year period.

Seven of the 12 cases reported this year were contracted from foreign countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, the CDC said.