By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
As 2019 comes to a close, UN health officials say Brazil accounted for the vast majority of measles cases in the Americas region.
Through December 12, Brazil reported 13,489 of the 15,802 confirmed cases of measles n the region, or 85 percent.
The country also saw 15 measles related deaths in 2019.
Officials report the predominant circulating genotype and lineage was D8, lineage MVi/HuluLangat.MYS/26. However, since the occurrence of an outbreak on a cruise ship in São Paulo State (Epi Week 8 of 2019), the circulation of three different lineages of genotype D8 has been detected: MVs/FrankfurtMain.DEU/17.11, MVi/Delhi.IND/01.14/06, and MVs/Gir Somnath.IND/42.16.
São Paulo is the federal unit most affected by measles in Brazil (12,296 confirmed cases, including 14 deaths).
In São Paulo, highest incidence rates are among children aged less than 1 year (127.5 cases per 100,000 population among less than 6-month-olds and 808.9 cases per 100,000 population among 6 to 11-month-olds), followed by 1 to 4-year-olds (81.7 cases per 100,000 population) and 25 to 29-year-olds (57.3 cases per 100,000).
Following Brazil in the region in measles cases include the United States, Venezuela and Colombia.
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