2023年首例境外移入瘧疾疫情調查報告

Investigation of The First Imported Case of Malaria, Taiwan, 2023

2023年1月20日醫院通報一名瘧疾病例，2022年12月下旬至2023年1月上旬至西非象牙海岸共和國，2023年1月9日發燒、頭痛，同年1月18日確診COVID-19，因症狀持續就醫於1月20日證實感染惡性瘧。衛生單位進行疫情、感染源調查及衛教宣導等防治工作。近5年我國瘧疾病例，均為境外移入，後COVID-19疫情國境解封，應宣導民眾防範瘧疾，前往瘧疾流行地區前先至旅遊醫學門診諮詢，依醫囑服用瘧疾預防藥物，旅遊期間做好個人防蚊防護，返國後如有疑似症狀儘速就醫，提供旅遊及預防藥物等資訊，供醫師診斷與治療參考。另加強醫事人員TOCC問診，除COVID-19外，亦需考慮是否感染其他傳染病，並保持通報警覺，以有效遏阻境外移入病例或由境外移入而發生介入病例的風險。

On January 20, 2023, a hospital reported a suspected malaria case. The patient had traveled to Ivory Coast from late December 2022 to early January 2023. He developed a fever and headache after arriving in Taiwan on January 9, 2023, and was diagnosed with COVID-19 on January 18, 2023. Due to persistent symptoms, he sought medical assistance on January 20, 2023, and was diagnosed with Plasmodium falciparum.
Public health officials investigated the outbreak and infection source and disseminated educational information and preventive measures. Since all cases of malaria in Taiwan in the last five years have been imported from overseas, with the lifting of border restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to promote malaria prevention. Individuals should get medical counsel at a travel medicine clinic before traveling to endemic areas, follow the instructions of prescribed malaria chemoprophylaxis, and take preventative precautions. After returning home, individuals with suspected symptoms should seek medical assistance immediately and provide their travel history and drug history of malaria preventative medication.
In addition, health practitioners should improve their TOCC screening and evaluate the possibility of other infectious disorders in addition to COVID-19. Maintaining a high degree of attention and notifying suspected cases is critical to avoid transmission caused by imported cases.