2023年臺北市某醫院精神科急性病房水痘帶狀疱疹病毒感染群聚事件疫情調查

Investigation of a Varicella-zoster Virus Infection Outbreak in an Acute Psychiatric Ward, Taipei City, 2023

2023年4月20日疾病管制署獲知北部某醫院精神科急性病房1名護理師及2名病人確診水痘，地方衛生單位立即針對可能發生群聚事件啟動疫情調查及相關防治工作。
調查發現該病房於3月21日曾有1名病人罹患帶狀疱疹，發病期間未進行隔離治療，該病人收治之病室於3月31日及4月1日陸續有2名病人感染水痘帶狀疱疹病毒，接續再有其他病室2名病人及1名護理師感染水痘帶狀疱疹病毒。該病房於3月21日至4月17日間，共新增4名病人及1名工作人員感染水痘帶狀疱疹病毒。
水痘在發疹早期傳染力相當強，除可能已遭受感染水痘但尚未發病之人員傳播，亦可能藉帶狀疱疹病人傳播，由於精神科急性病房之病人生活起居互動頻繁，建議對罹患帶狀疱疹病人進行適當隔離措施，以降低傳播風險。

On April 20, 2023, Taiwan Centers for Disease Control received a notification that a nurse and two patients had been diagnosed with chickenpox in the acute psychiatric ward of a hospital in northern Taiwan. In response to the outbreak, the Department of Health, Taipei City Government, promptly launched an investigation and implemented control measures.
The investigation revealed that a patient in the ward had developed shingles on March 21. However, no isolation measures were taken. Subsequently, within the same ward, chickenpox was diagnosed in five individuals between March 31 and April 17, with two patients sharing the same room, two patients in other rooms, and one nurse.
Chickenpox is highly contagious in the early stage of disease onset. It can be transmitted by individuals infected with the virus before they show symptoms. The virus can also spread from patients with shingles. Given the frequent interactions among patients in acute psychiatric wards, it is recommended that appropriate isolation measures be implemented for shingles patients to reduce the risk of transmission.