The Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) National Surveillance Unit reports being notified of  9 cases of suspected measles in the past three weeks, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) health alert yesterday.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

Cases are in children too young to be vaccinated (age less than 1 year) and young adults. The first case was a 21 year old female who acquired her infection in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This was confirmed as measles. There has been a significant measles outbreak in PNG over the past 2 years.

WHO and MHMS have enhanced surveillance for ‘acute fever and rash’ (AFR) at NRH and in Honiara City Council clinics to detect cases early. (AFR are the first signs of measles).

Blood samples from 6 recent cases were sent to the WHO Collaborating Centre in Melbourne, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, for confirmation on Monday, 21 July 2014.

In response to the 5 cases admitted to the National Referral Hospital, the medical superintendent activated the Hospital Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC). An isolation ward was opened and health care workers have been vaccinated against measles. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page