In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Madagascar, the Ministry of Public Health (MoH) of Madagascar has reported 19,539 measles cases and 39 deaths since October 2018.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

Cases were reported from 66 of 114 total districts in all 22 regions of Madagascar.

According to a WHO release this week, the outbreak has spread to densely populated urban cities including Toamasina, Mahajanga, Antsirabe, Toliara and the capital city Antananarivo. Most cases were reported from Analamanga (61%) and Boeny (20%) regions.

Two-thirds of the cases have been reported in children 14 and younger.

The circulating genotype for the current measles outbreak in Madagascar is B3, usually found in Africa and Europe.

A vaccination campaign which targeted over 2 million children ended today.

Low coverage with measles vaccine combined with a low incidence of measles in recent years in Madagascar has contributed to a significant proportion of the population which is susceptible to measles. According to WHO and UNICEF estimates, the measles immunization coverage in Madagascar was 58% in 2017. The malnutrition rate is also a contributor as malnutrition increases children’s vulnerability of serious complications and death from measles infection.