Background: Measles is a highly contagious viral disease (contagion index near 100%) with a complication rate of up to 30%. The worldwide incidence for 2022 was calculated as 29 cases per million people. Measles can be eliminated if 95% of the population is either vaccinated or immune and measures are taken to limit its spread as soon as an initial suspected case is encountered. However, the worldwide immunization rate has fallen since 2020 (from 86% in 2019 to 81% in 2021).
Methods: To assess the epidemiological situation and describe the state of scientific knowledge regarding laboratory tests for measles, we analyzed recent epidemiological data from the Robert-Koch Institute (RKI) and reviewed pertinent publications retrieved by a selective literature search.
Results: Repeated importations of measles virus have led to a new rise in case numbers in Germany since last year. 79 cases of measles were reported to the RKI in 2023, and 475 in the first eight months of 2024. The latter figure corresponds to the pre-pandemic level. There are still immunization gaps in the population: for instance, by the age of 24 months, 93.7% of children have received their first immunization, and only 80.5% have received the second. Every suspected case must be confirmed by laboratory testing so that targeted measures can be initiated. Serology is no longer considered sufficiently reliable; a reliable diagnosis now requires a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The specimen can be a throat swab or a urine sample. PCR also enables the differentiation of measles virus variants and the tracing of transmission chains.
Conclusion: Reliable laboratory testing makes it possible to detect measles cases rapidly, initiate measures to slow the spread of the disease, trace infection chains, and assess the risk exposure for measles in Germany.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0211 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Interventions to Maintain HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Service Delivery During Public Health Emergencies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Protocol for a Systematic Review.
JMIR Res Protoc
January 2025
Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Background: Although existing disease preparedness and response frameworks provide guidance about strengthening emergency response capacity, little attention is paid to health service continuity during emergency responses. During the 2014 Ebola outbreak, there were 11,325 reported deaths due to the Ebola virus and yet disruption in access to care caused more than 10,000 additional deaths due to measles, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Low- and middle-income countries account for the largest disease burden due to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria and yet previous responses to health emergencies showed that HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria service delivery can be significantly disrupted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccination coverage, delay and loss to follow-up of the triple viral vaccine, in live births between 2017 and 2018 in Brazilian cities.
Epidemiol Serv Saude
January 2025
Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
Objective: To estimate measles-mumps-rubella vaccination coverage, delay and loss to follow-up in children up to 24 months old living in Brazilian cities.
Methods: Surveys and questionnaires with a retrospective cohort of live births in 2017-2018, analyzing vaccination coverage and sociodemographic data of children and families, based on vaccination card records and interviews.
Results: Valid coverage of first dose was 90.
Aim: Romania is currently facing a prolonged measles outbreak. The aim of the study was to analyse the circulating human measles virus (HMV) strains by combining whole genome sequencing (WGS) with phylogenetic analysis, with a focus on the haemagglutinin gene.
Methods: We conducted an observational study in the first five months of 2024, in which 168 patients diagnosed with measles were randomly included.
Unveiling immunity gaps and determining a suitable age for a third dose of the measles-containing vaccine: a strategic approach to accelerating measles elimination.
Lancet Reg Health Southeast Asia
January 2025
Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Background: In highly measles immunized countries, immunity gaps in adolescents and young adults are a key issue posing an obstacle to measles elimination. This study aims to identify the gaps by estimating the age-stratified probability of seropositivity, and to ascertain a suitable age for the administration of a third dose of a measles-containing vaccine (MCV3) to effectively fill these gaps.
Methods: We retrospectively obtained measles serological results from hospital setting among among individuals aged 13-39 years and developed a serocatalytic dynamic probability model, stratifying seropositivity due to vaccination or natural infection.
The Polygenic Nature of Multiple Sclerosis: Genetic Variants, Immunological Modulation, and Environmental Connections.
Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets
December 2024
Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev St., Block 23, Sofia1113, Bulgaria.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a debilitating inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system characterized by demyelination, is significantly influenced by polygenic variations. Although the precise cause of MS remains unclear, it is believed to arise from a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Recent investigations have focused on the polygenic nature of genetic alterations linked to MS risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!