By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Mexico (HERE and HERE), the World Health Organization published a news release on the situation adding some more detail.

Image/CIA

Between 1 January and 2 April 2020, 1,364 probable cases of measles were reported, of which 124 were laboratory confirmed, 991 were discarded and 328 remain under investigation.

Of the 124 confirmed cases, 105 were in Mexico City, 18 in Mexico State, and one in Campeche State.

In Mexico City, 427 probable cases were reported, of which 105 were laboratory confirmed and 83 remain under investigation. All 105 confirmed cases in Mexico City were Mexican citizens, and 60% were male.

Nationally, the age of the confirmed measles cases ranged from three months to 68 years (median=20 years), and 59% were male. Analysis conducted by the National Reference Laboratory (InDRE) identified the genotype D8 (similar to other countries in the Region), linage MVs/GirSomnath.IND/42.16/ for 17 of the confirmed cases.

Because of ongoing transmission, vaccination strategies and other actions are being implemented to control the outbreak by local and state level authorities in Mexico. There is a high risk of spreading of the virus due to high population density such as Mexico City, in which the high vaccination coverage could allow slow but steady transmission.

Philippines: UNICEF warns millions of children may miss vaccinations

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, there might be a risk of disruption to routine immunization activities due to both COVID-19 related burden on the health system and decreased demand for vaccination because of physical distancing requirements or community reluctance. Disruption of immunization services, even for brief periods, can result in increased numbers of susceptible individuals and raise the likelihood of outbreak-prone vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) such as measles.