A measles outbreak in Romania has been ongoing since February 2016 and cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures that have been implemented at national level through reinforced vaccination activities, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Image/TheDigitalWay
Image/TheDigitalWay

From September 2016 to 17 March 2017, Romania has reported 3,799 cases.

In Italy, about 700 cases reported so far this year, in Germany more than 200 cases and in Belgium more than 100 cases. Dozens of cases have also been reported from France, Spain, Hungary and Austria. In some countries, the spread of infection has occurred among health care workers.

Measles is caused by a virus belonging to the paramyxovirus. The disease is one of the most infectious diseases that exists. Measles virus excreted by breathing the air and spread through air droplets (aerosols). Susceptible people infected via the respiratory tract or mucous membranes of the eyes.

The incubation period is 7-18 days, usually about 10 days.

At the onset of measles is acute with rapidly rising fever, eye irritation and increasingly troublesome dry cough. After a day occurs a storfläckigt, red and often confluent rash that usually only seen in the face and then spreads down the trunk and extremities.Another early symptoms of measles are small white spots on the buccal mucosa (Koplik’s spots).

Complications are quite common. Toddlers often suffer from respiratory problems and the infected mucous membranes may become secondarily infected with bacteria. Children can then have, for example, otitis media, sinusitis or pneumonia, which often requires antibiotic treatment. Measles virus is also capable of causing pneumonia in itself.

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