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This year’s outbreak did not follow the usual pattern of peaking in late May or early June, waning in the summer and increasing again in the fall, an official said.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday that more than 19,000 cases of enterovirus infections were recorded between October 27 and Saturday last week, the highest number for that period in the past 10 years .

During those seven days, 19,460 people went to emergency rooms or outpatient clinics due to enterovirus infections, an increase of 4.7% week over week, the spokesperson said. word from the CDC, Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧), during a press conference.

“Enterovirus is very contagious and spreads more easily in places where there are close contacts and frequent interactions between people, such as homes, kindergartens, daycares and daycares,” said the CDC in a press release.

Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times

The unusually severe outbreak in the fall and winter of this year could be because many children were not exposed to a wide variety of virus strains during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tseng said .

The CDC spokeswoman said 265 classes – 25 elementary school classes, 186 kindergarten classes and 54 others – were suspended during the seven-day period.

The outbreak is expected to peak at the end of the month, but cases will likely remain high until next month, she said.

“The usual seasonal pattern for enteroviruses is that outbreaks occur from late March to early April, peaking between late May and early June,” she said. “After the summer holidays, cases generally decrease, but tend to increase again in September with the start of the school year.”

“However, this year the outbreak persisted throughout the summer and increased in autumn and winter, which is unusual,” she said.

The center urged parents to “implement good hygiene,” such as washing hands with soap and water, and regularly disinfecting the home and learning environments.

The CDC said children under the age of five are at “high risk” for serious enterovirus infection, symptoms of which include drowsiness, lack of energy, weakness or paralysis of the hands and feet, muscle twitching, persistent vomiting and shortness of breath.

“People should pay attention to warning signs of serious enteroviruses in children” and take them to the hospital as soon as possible if symptoms are detected, the CDC said.