2022–2023 mpox outbreak in Taiwan

2022–2023 mpox outbreak in Taiwan
DiseaseHuman mpox
LocationTaiwan
Arrival date24 June 2022 – ongoing (1 year, 4 months, and 27 days)
Confirmed cases335
Deaths
1

The 2022–2023 mpox outbreak in Taiwan is a part of the larger outbreak of human mpox caused by the West African clade of the monkeypox virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan's first mpox case was reported on 24 June 2022.

As of November 2023, there have been 355 confirmed cases of mpox in Taiwan. 17 cases were imported, and 338 cases were domestically transmitted.

Background

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox)[1] is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some other animals.[2] Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.[2] The illness is usually mild and most of those infected will recover within a few weeks without treatment.[3] The time from exposure to onset of symptoms ranges from five to twenty-one days and symptoms typically last from two to four weeks.[4] Cases may be severe, especially in children, pregnant women or people with suppressed immune systems.[5]

The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus,[lower-alpha 1] a zoonotic virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus. The variola virus, the causative agent of the disease smallpox, is also in this genus.[2] Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infected skin or body fluids, including sexual contact.[2] People remain infectious from the onset of symptoms until all the lesions have scabbed and healed.[5] It may spread from infected animals by handling infected meat or via bites or scratches.[5] Diagnosis can be confirmed by PCR testing a lesion for the virus' DNA.[2]

An ongoing outbreak of mpox was confirmed on 6 May 2022, beginning with a British resident who, after travelling to Nigeria (where the disease is endemic), presented symptoms consistent with mpox on 29 April 2022. The resident returned to the United Kingdom on 4 May, creating the country's index case of the outbreak.[6] The origin of several of the cases of mpox in the United Kingdom is unknown. Some monitors saw community transmission taking place in the London area as of mid-May,[7] but it has been suggested that cases were already spreading in Europe in the previous months.[8]

Timeline

Mpox cases in Taiwan  ()
     Deaths        Confirmed cases
JunJunJulJulAugAugSepSepOctOct
Last 15 daysLast 15 days
Date
Cases (rise)
Deaths (rise)
2022-06-24
1(n.a.)
⋮
2022-07-12
2(n.a.)
⋮
2022-08-06
3(n.a.)
⋮
2022-09-03
3(n.a.)
⋮
2022-10-09
4(n.a.)

The first known case of the mpox outbreak in Taiwan was detected on 24 June 2022. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the case was a Taiwanese man in his 20s who had traveled to Germany for his studies. He returned to Taiwan on 16 June, started showing symptoms on 20 June, and tested positive for mpox on 24 June.[9][10][11] On 12 July, Taiwan reported its second case of mpox in a man in his 30s who had gone on a business trip to the United States.[12] On 6 August, a third case of imported mpox was reported, involving a man in his 20s who had returned to Taiwan from the United States.[13] The fourth imported case, reported on 9 October, involved a man in his 40s who had visited Canada, and developed symptoms in the United States.[14] The fifth case was reported on 15 February 2023.[15] By March 2023, the disease was confirmed to have been domestically transmitted.[16][17] In November 2023, the first death from mpox in Taiwan was reported.[18]

Responses

In May 2022, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control started increasing monitoring for mpox cases.[19] Later that month, health minister Chen Shih-chung stated that Taiwan was not yet planning to purchase a mpox vaccine.[20]

As the global outbreak spread, Taiwan designated mpox as a category 2 communicable disease on 23 June.[21] Two days after the index case was publicized, the CDC issued guidelines for risk assessment and control.[22] By 27 June, the CDC had begun working to reverse the vaccine policy declared in May, stating that talks to acquire mpox medications and vaccines had started.[23] Later on 30 June, the CDC issued a travel warning for 44 countries that had reported cases of mpox.[24] On 2 July, the CDC announced that they are planning to receive third-generation smallpox vaccines and antiviral drugs in late 2022. The CDC said that frontline medical workers and researchers will be the first to receive the vaccine.[25] On 24 July, the CDC announced that they signed a contract to purchase medication to treat mpox patients, and that a shipment will arrive in August at the earliest. The CDC also announced that they are in talks to purchase mpox vaccines, and that they are hoping to receive them by late August.[26] On 27 July, 504 courses of mpox medications arrived in Taiwan, to be used by severe cases and immunocompromised individuals.[27] On 1 September, Taiwan received its first doses of the mpox vaccine.[28][29]

Statistics

Total cases and deaths

New cases per day

Notes

  1. ↑ The World Health Organization (the authority on disease names) announced the new name "mpox" in November 2022. But virus naming is the responsibility of the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), which is currently reviewing all orthopoxvirus species. As of March 2023, the official name of the virus remains "monkeypox virus".[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "WHO recommends new name for monkeypox disease" (Press release). World Health Organization (WHO). 28 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "WHO Factsheet – Mpox (Monkeypox)". World Health Organization (WHO). 18 April 2023. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "Monkeypox". GOV.UK. 24 May 2022. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "Mpox Symptoms". U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "Mpox (monkeypox)". World Health Organisation. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  6. ↑ "Monkeypox – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". World Health Organization. 16 May 2022. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  7. ↑ Pinkstone, Joe (17 May 2022). "Monkeypox 'spreading in sexual networks'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  8. ↑ Nsofor, Ifeanyi (2 June 2022). "OPINION: Media coverage of monkeypox paints it as an African virus. That makes me mad". NPR. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "Taiwan confirms first imported case of monkeypox". Reuters. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  10. ↑ "Taiwan confirms first imported case of monkeypox". The Jerusalem Post. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  11. ↑ Chen, Chieh-ling; Liu, Kay (24 June 2022). "Taiwan reports first monkeypox case". Central News Agency. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  12. ↑ Chen, Chie-ling; Chang, Ming-hsuan; Liu, Kay (12 July 2022). "Taiwan reports second case of monkeypox". Central News Agency. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  13. ↑ Shen, Pei-yao; Huang, Frances (6 August 2022). "Taiwan reports third monkeypox case". Central News Agency.
  14. ↑ Yen, William (9 October 2022). "Taiwan reports new monkeypox case, asks people to report symptoms". Central News Agency. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  15. ↑ Chen, Chieh-ling; Lin, Sean (21 February 2023). "MPOX/Taiwan reports 5th monkeypox case". Central News Agency. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  16. ↑ Shen, Pei-yao; Mazzetta, Matthew (1 March 2023). "MPOX/Taiwan records first two local monkeypox cases". Central News Agency. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  17. ↑ Chen, Chieh-ling; Chao, Yen-hsiang (7 March 2023). "MPOX/Taiwan reports 3rd domestically transmitted mpox case". Central News Agency. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  18. ↑ Tseng, Yi-ning; Ko, Lin (7 November 2023). "MPOX/Taiwan reports 1st mpox death". Central News Agency. Retrieved 8 November 2023. Republished as: "Mpox claims first casualty". Taipei Times. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  19. ↑ Chang, Ming-hsuan; Lee, Hsin-Yin (21 May 2022). "Taiwan steps up monitoring of monkeypox amid recent outbreak overseas: CDC". Central News Agency. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  20. ↑ Chen, Chieh-ling; Hsu, Phoenix; Mazzetta, Matthew (23 May 2022). "Taiwan not planning to buy vaccine that protects against monkeypox: Chen". Central News Agency. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  21. ↑ Chiang, Yi-ching (23 June 2022). "Taiwan lists monkeypox as category 2 communicable disease". Central News Agency. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  22. ↑ Shen, Pei-yao; Lee, Hsin-Yin (26 June 2022). "Taiwan issues guidelines for monkeypox risk assessment, control". Central News Agency. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  23. ↑ Chiang, Yi-ching (27 June 2022). "Taiwan in talks to buy vaccine, medication for monkeypox". Central News Agency. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "Taiwan CDC imposes monkeypox travel alert for 44 countries". Taiwan News. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  25. ↑ "Taiwan in talks to get monkeypox vaccines in late 2022". Taiwan News. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  26. ↑ "Taiwan could receive monkeypox medication, vaccine in August". Central News Agency (Taiwan). 24 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  27. ↑ "Monkeypox medications arrive in Taiwan". Taiwan News. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  28. ↑ Chen, Chieh-ling; Lin, Sean; Lee, Hsin-Yin (31 August 2022). "Taiwan to take delivery of 500 monkeypox vaccine doses on Sept. 2: CDC". Central News Agency. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  29. ↑ Chen, Chieh-ling; Mazzetta, Matthew (1 September 2022). "Taiwan takes delivery of 560 monkeypox vaccine doses". Central News Agency. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
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