Wed, Mar 20, 2024 page1

• First cases of pertussis, meningitis emerge: CDC

  • By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
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  This year’s first local cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, and meningococcal meningitis were reported last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.

  The pertussis case was a one-month-old boy and the meningococcal meningitis case was a four-year-old girl, it said.

  The one-month-old in northern Taiwan was not old enough to receive the government-funded whooping cough vaccine for newborns, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said.

  

  Centers for Disease Control Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times

  There were 32 cases of whooping cough reported in 2019, five cases in 2020, none in 2021, two in 2022 and none last year, she said, adding that 51 percent of the cases were younger than three months, while 36 percent were aged 30 or older.

  CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said the boy did not have any underlying health conditions and began coughing and having a runny nose on March 2.

  The boy was brought to a hospital on March 4 to seek treatment for coughing and difficulty breathing, and he was admitted to an intensive care unit after it was found that he had pneumonia and acute bronchiolitis, Lin said.

  He was given antibiotics and discharged on Monday last week after his recovery, and a test result the following day confirmed that he had whooping cough, the doctor said.

  The infant’s two family members did not have any symptoms, but they were tested and given post-exposure prophylaxis, he said.

  Whooping cough is an acute and contagious respiratory tract infection that can spread mainly through droplets emitted by coughing or sneezing, and it usually causes cold-like symptoms that could last up to two weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-huai (曾淑慧) said.

  It can also cause serious complications in babies, especially those younger than six months, including pneumonia, convulsions, seizures, apnea, encephalopathy and even death, Tseng said.

  In the boy’s case, the source of the infection was unclear, but the bacterium is usually transmitted to infants by family members or caregivers, she said.

  The government vaccination for newborns consists of five doses, at two, four, six and 18 months old, and after five years old before starting elementary school, Tseng said.

  Pregnant women can also receive a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine, which provides protection for the mother and the fetus, between the 28th and the 36th weeks of their pregnancy at their own expense, she added.

  The meningococcal meningitis case was reported in northern Taiwan, Lee said.

  There were one to 12 cases reported each year from 2015 to last year, with 33 percent of the cases aged 25 to 64 years, Lee said.

  The girl did not have any underlying conditions and began experiencing coughing, nasal congestion, fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and lethargy from early this month, Lin said.

  The girl was brought to a clinic several times for treatment, but the symptoms continued and she was admitted to a hospital on Wednesday last week after developing purple rashes, Lin said.

  A blood test revealed that she had severe inflammation and abnormal coagulation, and she had spasms and lost consciousness during hospitalization, he said.

  Her condition improved after treatment and she was transferred to a general ward, he said.

  Nineteen of the girl’s close contacts had no symptoms, but they were given post-exposure prophylaxis, Lin said.

  Five to 10 percent of the population might carry the bacterium causing the infection in the nose or throat without getting sick, but people with a weakened immune system sometimes experience symptoms, Lin said.

  The infection can progress fast, with a fatality rate of up to 40 percent if untreated, and 10 to 15 percent with treatment, Lin added.

  Meningococcal meningitis infection is more commonly seen in winter or spring, Tseng said.

  Practicing good hand hygiene and cough etiquette, and avoiding crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation are ways to prevent infection, Tseng said.

  People should seek immediate medical attention if symptoms occur, she added.
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