Taipei: Taiwan recorded two new severe enterovirus cases in newborns last week, both involving 4-day-old male infants infected with Echovirus 11, including one who died, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday. The death involved a 4-day-old newborn in central Taiwan whose mother had experienced fever and breathing difficulties one week before delivery, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching said during a routine CDC epidemic briefing.

According to Focus Taiwan, the baby was born prematurely with respiratory distress and was immediately admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Lin said. On the fourth day of life in mid-July, the infant developed rapid breathing, decreased activity levels, elevated liver enzymes, thrombocytopenia, and increased inflammatory markers, Lin added. His respiratory specimens later tested positive for Echovirus 11, confirming a severe enterovirus infection complicated by sepsis.

The other case occurred in southern Taiwan, involving another 4-day-old male infant born in early July. His mother showed no symptoms before or after delivery, but his father and sibling had a fever and a cough, Lin said, adding that as a precaution, the newborn was admitted to a nursery room for observation after birth. After about two weeks of hospitalization, the infant was discharged. He was diagnosed with a severe Echovirus 11 infection causing hepatitis, thrombocytopenia, and coagulation abnormalities.

During the July 20-26 week, there were 6,489 outpatient and emergency visits for enterovirus infections, similar to the previous week's 6,536 visits, said Lee Chia-lin, deputy director of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Center. Laboratory monitoring over the past four weeks shows that Echovirus 11 remains the predominant strain circulating in the community, Lee added, noting that the two additional neonatal severe cases reported last week indicate that the risk of severe infections in newborns remains high.

CDC spokesperson Lo Yi-chun said that the last reported severe neonatal enterovirus cases were on July 1 and the two additional severe cases reported last week show the outbreak is expected to last until the end of August. Parents, childcare workers, and educators are reminded to monitor children's health and hygiene practices closely and to ensure adequate ventilation and regular disinfection and cleaning in homes and childcare environments, the CDC said. They are also reminded to teach children to thoroughly wash their hands with soap after visiting places where there is frequent interaction with people, such as after-school programs, nurseries, and indoor play centers, the CDC added. Children should stay home when sick to protect themselves and others, the CDC said.