Measles Outbreak among Previously Immunized Adult Healthcare Workers China 2015.

Tuesday, 5th of July 2016

Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol. 2016;2016:1742530. doi: 10.1155/2016/1742530. Epub 2016 Apr 20.

Measles Outbreak among Previously Immunized Adult Healthcare Workers China 2015.

Zhang Z¹ Zhao Y¹ Yang L¹ Lu C¹ Meng Y¹ Guan X¹ An H¹ Zhang M² Guo W² Shang B¹ Yu J³.

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Abstract

Measles is caused by measles virus belonging to genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. Vaccination has played a critical role in controlling measles infection worldwide. However in the recent years outbreaks of measles infection still occur in many developing countries. Here we report an outbreak of measles among healthcare workers and among the 60measles infected patients 50 were healthcare workers including doctors nurses staff and medics. Fifty-one patients (85%) tested positive for IgM antibodies against the measles virus and 50 patients (83.3%) tested positive for measles virus RNA. Surprisingly 73.3% of the infected individuals had been previously immunized against measles. Since there is no infection division in our hospital the fever clinics are located in the Emergency Division. In addition the fever and rash were not recognized as measles symptoms at the beginning of the outbreak. These factors result in delay in isolation and early confirmation of the suspected patients and eventually a measles outbreak in the hospital. Our report highlights the importance of following a two-dose measles vaccine program in people including the healthcare workers. In addition vigilant attention should be paid to medical staff with clinical fever and rash symptoms to avoid a possible nosocomial transmission of measles infection.