A 38-year-old Indonesian migrant worker in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, was confirmed on Monday to be infected by the rubella virus after he returned from a visit to his home country, making him the first imported case of German measles in Taiwan this year.
The man went home to Indonesia on March 5 and returned to Taiwan on March 25. A week later on April 1, he reportedly became ill with a fever, and developed coughing and a rash in the following two days, China Times reported.
On April 6, the patient sought medical attention at a clinic after his lymph glands became swollen. All were confirmed as symptoms of German measles, which is also known as rubella.
He was referred to a hospital for treatment in quarantine. By Monday, it was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that the patient had contracted German measles.
Together with clinical symptoms and his travel history, it was categorized as an imported case, since the rubella virus has an incubation period of two to three weeks.
No one with whom the man made contact between March 27 and April 10 has reported illness or shown any symptoms of rubella.
According to CDC data, there were 14 cases of German measles in Taiwan between 2015 and 2017, nine of which were imported.
Rubella typically has mild symptoms, but if it is contracted by a pregnant woman, the infection can have severe effects on the unborn child.