New Imported Measles Case Reported; Foreign Woman in Her 30s Diagnosed While Traveling in Taiwan

Amid ongoing international measles outbreaks, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced today a new imported case involving a foreign woman in her 30s. She traveled to Taiwan in mid-May and was diagnosed after experiencing symptoms such as fever and rash. The infection is believed to have been contracted in Thailand. This brings the total number of cases this year to 10, with 8 being imported. Li Chia-lin, Deputy Director of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Center, explained during a routine report that the patient traveled from Thailand and was likely infected there. Previous cases have originated from Vietnam, Malaysia, the US, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, and Japan, with only two domestic cases, both of which have completed their monitoring periods. Currently, measles outbreaks continue in many countries. Li pointed out that Bangladesh, in particular, has strengthened monitoring since March, recording 60,540 suspected cases and over 512 deaths, the worst outbreak in decades, with 81% of cases involving children under five. Taiwan maintains a Level 2 'Alert' for travel to Bangladesh. CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui added that Taiwan's MMR vaccine coverage for both the first and second doses exceeds 97%, indicating high overall herd immunity. She explained that in Bangladesh, medical resources were diverted to COVID-19 prevention during the pandemic, leading to missed vaccinations and lower coverage. Measles is highly contagious, and a coverage rate of over 95% is required to maintain herd immunity. When coverage drops, susceptible children accumulate, making large-scale outbreaks likely when the virus is reintroduced. The CDC also noted that Japan has reported 479 cases so far this year, exceeding last year's total of 265. Outbreaks are also occurring in Europe and the Americas, with over 20,000 cases reported across 16 European countries.