Health officials report spike in imported measles cases

CDC. MMWR. 2011; 60;1-4.

Importations of measles into the Western Hemisphere continue, and the US has seen an “unusually large number of importations” during the first 5 months of 2011, according to CDC officials.

In an early release report, the CDC wrote that the most frequent sources of the 118 cases reported so far this year have been countries in the European Region and the South-East Asia Region. CDC officials noted that France is in the midst of a large outbreak, with approximately 10,000 cases reported during the first 4 months of 2011, including “12 cases of encephalitis, 360 cases of severe measles pneumonia, and six measles-related deaths.”

The prevalence of measles prompted officials to remind the public about the importance of vaccination as most of the patients with measles had been unvaccinated, they noted.

“Children and adults who remain unvaccinated and develop measles also put others in their community at risk,” CDC officials wrote. “For infants too young for routine vaccination (aged younger than 1 year) and persons with medical conditions that contraindicate measles immunization, the risk for measles complications is particularly high.”

The CDC noted rapid control efforts by state and local public health agencies in quelling the size of outbreaks preventing subsequent spread.

In the report, health care providers were instructed to remain vigilant for measles symptoms, including febrile rash illness and clinically compatible symptoms such as cough, coryza, and/or conjunctivitis in patients who have recently traveled abroad or have had contact with travelers.

“Providers should isolate and report suspected measles cases immediately to their local health department and obtain specimens for measles testing, including viral specimens for confirmation and genotyping,” the CDC officials wrote.

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