Taiwan records second measles cluster of the year

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) Two cases of measles infections have been diagnosed in central Taiwan, marking the second measles cluster of the year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

The index case, the first patient verified, is a man in his 40s who was infected in Malaysia while on a business trip from late January to early February, according to the CDC.

Seven days after returning to Taiwan, the man developed a fever, cough, runny nose, pink eye and rashes.

After a visit to a clinic failed to improve his condition, the man sought further help at a hospital, where he was diagnosed with measles on Feb. 13.

The other patient in the cluster is a woman in her 20s, who developed symptoms 18 days after coming into contact with the index case at a local hospital.

CDC spokesperson Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) told reporters that the 57 contacts of the index case all completed their monitoring period on Wednesday.

Contacts of the second case, totaling 87, will have their health monitored until March 22, he added.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease, and its early symptoms resemble the common cold, including a cough, runny nose, and fever, followed by a red rash, according to the CDC.

Rashes typically appear about two weeks after infection. The virus can spread through the air, respiratory droplets, or direct contact with respiratory secretions from four days before the rash appears to four days after it appears, it said.

Taiwan has seen four measles cases so far this year, Lin said.

• Taiwan records first measles cluster of the year

The ages of the four patients range from 1 to over 40 years old, with two listed as domestic cases while the other two are imported cases, from Vietnam and Malaysia.

Although measles is highly contagious and has spread worldwide, Lin said Taiwan has a high vaccine-coverage rate and is unlikely to see an outbreak.

However, those who have been in contact with measles patients should observe Taiwan's measles protocols, report their status to local health agencies and seek further instructions, he said.